Total nonfarm employment for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, metropolitan area increased by 152,900 over the year in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the local rate of job gain, 4.9 percent, compared to the 3.3-percent national increase. (See chart 1 and table 1.) (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

Industry employment

In Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, trade, transportation, and utilities had the largest employment gain (+28,400) among local private-industry supersectors over the year. (See chart 2.) Within the supersector, employment increased by 9,900 in the wholesale trade sector. The 4.3-percent rate of job increase in Houston’s trade, transportation, and utilities supersector compared to the 1.8-percent gain nationwide.

Employment in professional and business services gained 27,500 jobs from January 2022 to January 2023 in the metropolitan area. Within this supersector, the professional, scientific, and technical services sector added 21,700 jobs. The metropolitan area had a 5.4-percent gain for the professional and business services supersector compared to a 3.2-percent increase for the nation.

In the metropolitan area, education and health services gained 20,500 jobs over the year. The healthcare and social assistance sector accounted for a gain of 16,300 jobs. The education and health services supersector’s 5.0-percent local rate of job growth compared to the 4.5-percent gain nationwide.

Leisure and hospitality gained 18,200 jobs in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, since January 2022. The accommodation and food services sector increased by 15,500 jobs. The leisure and hospitality supersector’s 5.7-percent local rate of job growth compared to the 7.2-percent gain nationwide.

Manufacturing employment in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, rose by 11,100 from January a year ago. The 5.1-percent rate of job increase in the area’s manufacturing supersector compared to the 3.0-percent gain nationwide.

In the metropolitan area, financial activities added 10,300 jobs over the year. This supersector’s 6.0-percent local rate of job growth was in contrast to the 1.9-percent national gain.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in January 2023. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, had the largest increase (+375,200). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, had the smallest increase (+79,200) among the largest areas, followed by San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA (+79,300). (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, had a 5.9-percent rate of job gain. The rates of job gain in the remaining 11 areas ranged from 4.9 percent in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, to 2.5 percent in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for February 2023 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the CES program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria. For some employment series, the estimates are produced with a model that uses direct sample estimates (described above) combined with other regressors to compensate for smaller sample sizes.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available in the CES State and Area benchmark article.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data also are subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the specific estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal totals shown in the same tables due to rounding.

Employment estimates. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Reliability of state and area estimates for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018. The 12 metropolitan areas discussed in this release are the metropolitan areas with the largest population according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller Counties.

Additional information

Employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and Houston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	Jan. 2022	Nov. 2022	Dec. 2022	Jan. 2023(p)	Jan. 2022 to Jan. 2023(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	147,932	155,642	155,344	152,836	4,904	3.3
Mining and logging	566	627	626	622	56	9.9
Construction	7,251	7,900	7,763	7,549	298	4.1
Manufacturing	12,513	12,974	12,988	12,891	378	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	28,241	29,272	29,506	28,749	508	1.8
Information	2,943	3,145	3,139	3,050	107	3.6
Financial activities	8,883	9,116	9,132	9,049	166	1.9
Professional and business services	21,786	23,028	22,907	22,474	688	3.2
Education and health services	23,694	25,024	24,960	24,749	1,055	4.5
Leisure and hospitality	14,592	15,998	15,947	15,638	1,046	7.2
Other services	5,524	5,782	5,778	5,741	217	3.9
Government	21,939	22,776	22,598	22,324	385	1.8
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	3,132.7	3,326.6	3,335.8	3,285.6	152.9	4.9
Mining and logging	61.5	67.3	67.4	68.3	6.8	11.1
Construction	211.3	223.3	224.6	220.5	9.2	4.4
Manufacturing	216.9	228.0	229.7	228.0	11.1	5.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	654.5	691.9	696.7	682.9	28.4	4.3
Information	31.7	33.0	33.4	33.4	1.7	5.4
Financial activities	172.8	181.9	183.4	183.1	10.3	6.0
Professional and business services	514.0	554.3	554.7	541.5	27.5	5.4
Education and health services	413.5	438.4	438.9	434.0	20.5	5.0
Leisure and hospitality	318.9	342.9	343.9	337.1	18.2	5.7
Other services	112.7	117.2	116.7	116.8	4.1	3.6
Government	424.9	448.4	446.4	440.0	15.1	3.6
(p) Preliminary

Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area	Jan 2022	Nov 2022	Dec 2022	Jan 2023(p)	Jan 2022 to Jan 2023(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States(1)
Total nonfarm	147,932	155,642	155,344	152,836	4,904	3.3
Mining and logging	566	627	626	622	56	9.9
Construction	7,251	7,900	7,763	7,549	298	4.1
Manufacturing	12,513	12,974	12,988	12,891	378	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	28,241	29,272	29,506	28,749	508	1.8
Information	2,943	3,145	3,139	3,050	107	3.6
Financial activities	8,883	9,116	9,132	9,049	166	1.9
Professional and business services	21,786	23,028	22,907	22,474	688	3.2
Education and health services	23,694	25,024	24,960	24,749	1,055	4.5
Leisure and hospitality	14,592	15,998	15,947	15,638	1,046	7.2
Other services	5,524	5,782	5,778	5,741	217	3.9
Government	21,939	22,776	22,598	22,324	385	1.8
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,900.7	3,046.7	3,048.3	3,018.2	117.5	4.1
Mining and logging	1.8	1.9	1.8	1.8	0.0	0.0
Construction	131.2	140.9	141.2	139.2	8.0	6.1
Manufacturing	172.6	176.3	178.9	177.4	4.8	2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	642.8	666.8	669.5	652.7	9.9	1.5
Information	110.0	117.6	115.2	117.7	7.7	7.0
Financial activities	192.0	201.3	204.1	202.9	10.9	5.7
Professional and business services	575.9	594.5	590.3	588.2	12.3	2.1
Education and health services	376.3	398.4	398.5	397.6	21.3	5.7
Leisure and hospitality	268.0	300.2	299.4	296.3	28.3	10.6
Other services	98.5	106.1	106.0	105.1	6.6	6.7
Government	331.6	342.7	343.4	339.3	7.7	2.3
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (NECTA)
Total nonfarm	2,693.6	2,826.3	2,813.3	2,775.7	82.1	3.0
Mining, logging, and construction	119.7	129.3	126.4	122.8	3.1	2.6
Manufacturing	180.6	182.4	182.5	182.1	1.5	0.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	403.7	412.2	418.0	412.8	9.1	2.3
Information	82.2	85.8	85.5	84.7	2.5	3.0
Financial activities	182.8	188.0	189.5	188.7	5.9	3.2
Professional and business services	517.7	548.4	545.7	537.1	19.4	3.7
Education and health services	582.4	609.5	600.9	595.2	12.8	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	225.0	252.3	250.6	241.6	16.6	7.4
Other services	95.2	99.3	99.2	99.3	4.1	4.3
Government	304.3	319.1	315.0	311.4	7.1	2.3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,548.4	4,789.0	4,771.6	4,670.8	122.4	2.7
Mining and logging	1.4	1.5	1.5	1.5	0.1	7.1
Construction	158.3	187.5	176.8	162.9	4.6	2.9
Manufacturing	399.0	409.7	410.9	408.8	9.8	2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	948.5	985.2	995.4	964.7	16.2	1.7
Information	78.3	82.5	81.9	80.7	2.4	3.1
Financial activities	314.3	316.7	315.1	312.9	-1.4	-0.4
Professional and business services	831.2	877.1	867.8	838.4	7.2	0.9
Education and health services	711.0	748.3	746.9	744.4	33.4	4.7
Leisure and hospitality	403.6	460.8	457.1	447.8	44.2	11.0
Other services	185.9	195.5	193.6	192.6	6.7	3.6
Government	516.9	524.2	524.6	516.1	-0.8	-0.2
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,945.3	4,219.0	4,223.4	4,179.4	234.1	5.9
Mining, logging, and construction	221.7	240.0	240.9	239.9	18.2	8.2
Manufacturing	290.9	304.7	307.4	305.2	14.3	4.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	860.6	917.0	921.8	901.4	40.8	4.7
Information	86.9	92.7	94.6	92.8	5.9	6.8
Financial activities	350.2	366.9	370.7	370.2	20.0	5.7
Professional and business services	729.6	794.3	784.5	778.1	48.5	6.6
Education and health services	460.5	493.5	498.3	488.1	27.6	6.0
Leisure and hospitality	372.3	407.6	402.9	401.4	29.1	7.8
Other services	121.4	131.6	131.5	134.0	12.6	10.4
Government	451.2	470.7	470.8	468.3	17.1	3.8
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	3,132.7	3,326.6	3,335.8	3,285.6	152.9	4.9
Mining and logging	61.5	67.3	67.4	68.3	6.8	11.1
Construction	211.3	223.3	224.6	220.5	9.2	4.4
Manufacturing	216.9	228.0	229.7	228.0	11.1	5.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	654.5	691.9	696.7	682.9	28.4	4.3
Information	31.7	33.0	33.4	33.4	1.7	5.4
Financial activities	172.8	181.9	183.4	183.1	10.3	6.0
Professional and business services	514.0	554.3	554.7	541.5	27.5	5.4
Education and health services	413.5	438.4	438.9	434.0	20.5	5.0
Leisure and hospitality	318.9	342.9	343.9	337.1	18.2	5.7
Other services	112.7	117.2	116.7	116.8	4.1	3.6
Government	424.9	448.4	446.4	440.0	15.1	3.6
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	6,036.5	6,348.0	6,331.4	6,254.9	218.4	3.6
Mining and logging	2.0	1.9	1.9	1.9	-0.1	-5.0
Construction	247.6	258.5	255.7	245.6	-2.0	-0.8
Manufacturing	467.9	483.2	478.7	477.9	10.0	2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,082.1	1,121.2	1,129.8	1,105.9	23.8	2.2
Information	254.3	262.8	257.2	247.6	-6.7	-2.6
Financial activities	330.3	330.4	333.5	327.4	-2.9	-0.9
Professional and business services	966.3	1,027.0	1,025.9	1,013.0	46.7	4.8
Education and health services	1,089.1	1,156.1	1,157.5	1,152.6	63.5	5.8
Leisure and hospitality	674.1	749.3	749.5	741.7	67.6	10.0
Other services	196.7	209.2	209.7	206.1	9.4	4.8
Government	726.1	748.4	732.0	735.2	9.1	1.3
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,742.0	2,870.8	2,878.9	2,850.0	108.0	3.9
Mining and logging
Construction	139.1	145.8	142.5	141.4	2.3	1.7
Manufacturing	91.7	96.2	96.7	95.2	3.5	3.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	624.6	655.3	661.6	649.2	24.6	3.9
Information	53.1	56.3	55.9	54.3	1.2	2.3
Financial activities	203.8	214.7	214.6	212.3	8.5	4.2
Professional and business services	493.6	514.1	517.1	513.1	19.5	4.0
Education and health services	414.6	436.0	437.9	432.3	17.7	4.3
Leisure and hospitality	309.5	330.7	330.8	330.8	21.3	6.9
Other services	109.2	112.4	112.9	112.8	3.6	3.3
Government	302.0	308.5	308.1	307.8	5.8	1.9
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,470.8	10,063.2	10,100.3	9,846.0	375.2	4.0
Mining, logging, and construction	372.7	413.2	406.9	387.5	14.8	4.0
Manufacturing	338.4	349.4	349.9	346.4	8.0	2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,652.8	1,715.7	1,739.0	1,682.4	29.6	1.8
Information	311.6	328.2	330.1	317.0	5.4	1.7
Financial activities	778.8	811.5	814.7	804.8	26.0	3.3
Professional and business services	1,568.0	1,663.8	1,664.8	1,605.0	37.0	2.4
Education and health services	2,031.1	2,180.8	2,194.3	2,169.5	138.4	6.8
Leisure and hospitality	757.5	893.0	887.7	849.1	91.6	12.1
Other services	381.5	403.0	405.6	397.6	16.1	4.2
Government	1,278.4	1,304.6	1,307.3	1,286.7	8.3	0.6
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,916.5	3,078.6	3,081.7	3,023.2	106.7	3.7
Mining, logging, and construction	115.9	124.4	123.2	121.7	5.8	5.0
Manufacturing	175.1	180.9	181.6	180.7	5.6	3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	543.4	563.0	573.2	553.9	10.5	1.9
Information	53.0	54.6	54.7	55.0	2.0	3.8
Financial activities	222.5	229.3	230.2	227.6	5.1	2.3
Professional and business services	480.6	507.0	502.9	493.6	13.0	2.7
Education and health services	649.8	698.2	695.4	683.2	33.4	5.1
Leisure and hospitality	232.8	259.3	258.0	252.9	20.1	8.6
Other services	115.3	122.5	123.0	121.4	6.1	5.3
Government	328.1	339.4	339.5	333.2	5.1	1.6
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,279.2	2,371.4	2,379.5	2,358.4	79.2	3.5
Mining and logging	2.9	3.1	3.1	3.1	0.2	6.9
Construction	144.2	156.7	153.1	152.6	8.4	5.8
Manufacturing	141.6	150.4	151.6	149.2	7.6	5.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	454.2	462.1	466.7	454.4	0.2	0.0
Information	41.9	43.3	43.6	43.2	1.3	3.1
Financial activities	217.5	219.7	222.4	221.1	3.6	1.7
Professional and business services	382.4	398.6	403.6	399.8	17.4	4.6
Education and health services	355.8	373.7	379.3	379.2	23.4	6.6
Leisure and hospitality	226.1	239.9	241.4	240.8	14.7	6.5
Other services	70.1	75.3	73.1	70.3	0.2	0.3
Government	242.5	248.6	241.6	244.7	2.2	0.9
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,399.4	2,513.8	2,509.5	2,478.7	79.3	3.3
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	118.3	124.0	123.4	120.2	1.9	1.6
Manufacturing	150.6	156.8	157.0	155.8	5.2	3.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	351.7	365.0	368.8	359.4	7.7	2.2
Information	146.4	156.3	155.2	151.6	5.2	3.6
Financial activities	142.8	146.5	146.8	145.1	2.3	1.6
Professional and business services	512.0	531.4	531.6	523.9	11.9	2.3
Education and health services	370.8	389.5	391.6	388.6	17.8	4.8
Leisure and hospitality	214.7	245.0	246.5	239.6	24.9	11.6
Other services	79.4	82.5	83.5	82.4	3.0	3.8
Government	312.4	316.5	304.8	311.8	-0.6	-0.2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,225.7	3,363.8	3,355.9	3,307.0	81.3	2.5
Mining, logging, and construction	156.9	164.4	165.7	161.4	4.5	2.9
Manufacturing	55.1	58.2	58.5	56.8	1.7	3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	397.9	409.6	415.5	402.0	4.1	1.0
Information	79.0	81.5	80.3	78.8	-0.2	-0.3
Financial activities	154.3	154.4	154.8	152.0	-2.3	-1.5
Professional and business services	788.2	810.5	806.1	799.7	11.5	1.5
Education and health services	429.4	453.4	450.5	446.4	17.0	4.0
Leisure and hospitality	269.4	309.2	304.4	297.0	27.6	10.2
Other services	189.4	192.7	194.0	193.9	4.5	2.4
Government	706.1	729.9	726.1	719.0	12.9	1.8
(1) U.S. data are preliminary for two months after they are first published. (p) Preliminary