Department of Numbers

Odessa, Texas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Odessa fell 1.3 percentage points in May 2021 to 10.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 3.6 percentage points higher than the Texas rate. The unemployment rate in Odessa peaked in May 2020 at 16.0% and is now 5.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Odessa unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate May 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 5.8% -0.3 -7.5
Texas 6.5% -0.2 -5.1
Odessa 10.1% -1.3 -5.9
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with May 2021 data as June metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Odessa, Texas, National

Odessa, Texas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Odessa, Texas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Odessa peaked in May 2020 at 13,097. There are now 5,088 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Odessa employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Odessa, Texas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons May 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Odessa 8,009 -1,059 -5,088

Number of Unemployed Persons

Odessa, Texas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Texas
Unemployment Rate		 Odessa
Unemployment Rate		 Odessa
Unemployed
June
2021		 5.9% — — —
May
2021		 5.8% 6.5% 10.1% 8,009
April
2021		 6.1% 6.7% 11.4% 9,068
March
2021		 6.0% 6.9% 11.8% 9,452
February
2021		 6.2% 6.9% 12.1% 9,734
January
2021		 6.3% 6.8% 12.3% 9,932
December
2020		 6.7% 6.9% 12.6% 10,104
November
2020		 6.7% 7.2% 12.7% 10,201
October
2020		 6.9% 7.3% 12.7% 10,406
September
2020		 7.8% 7.9% 13.4% 10,863
August
2020		 8.4% 6.9% 11.3% 9,189
July
2020		 10.2% 9.3% 15.1% 12,333

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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