Total nonfarm employment in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,639,100 in February 2018, up 96,000 over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. From February 2017 to February 2018, local nonfarm employment rose 2.7 percent, compared to the national rate of 1.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Dallas ranked second in both the rate of job growth and the number of jobs added. (See chart 3 and table 2; the Technical Note at the end of this release contains the metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of two metropolitan divisions – separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. The Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division, which accounted for 71 percent of the area’s workforce, added 70,400 jobs from February a year ago, an increase of 2.8 percent. The Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division, which accounted for the remaining 29 percent of the area’s workforce, added 25,600 jobs during the 12-month period, a gain of 2.5 percent.

Industry employment

Employment in the area’s leisure and hospitality supersector rose by 19,000 since February 2017, the largest gain of any local supersector. More than half of the job gain was in the sector’s largest industry, food services and drinking places (+11,200). The supersector’s rate of job growth in the Dallas area, 5.3 percent, was more than double the nationwide advance of 2.1 percent. (See chart 2.)

Professional and business services added 13,700 jobs in the area from February 2017 to February 2018, the second-largest gain among the local supersectors. The Dallas area’s 2.3-percent annual rate of job growth compared to the U.S. increase of 2.4 percent. The Fort Worth-Arlington division added jobs at a faster pace than the Dallas-Plano-Irving division, 4.1 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.

Trade, transportation, and utilities, the metropolitan area’s largest supersector, added 13,500 jobs from February 2017. The 1.8-percent rate of local job growth was twice the national gain of 0.9 percent. Employment rose in all three sub-sectors: transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+7,300); retail trade (+4,100); and wholesale trade (+2,100). The local retail trade advance occurred despite an annual loss of 3,000 jobs in department stores.

Education and health services added 11,800 jobs in the Dallas area from February 2017. The area’s 2.7-percent rate of job growth in education and health services compared to the U.S. rate of 1.9 percent.

Locally, manufacturing and financial activities added 8,700 jobs each from February 2017 to February 2018. Local rates of job growth in both supersectors were faster-paced than those for the nation. Both metropolitan divisions added jobs in financial activities, but the rate of job growth in Fort Worth-Arlington, at 5.1 percent, was faster-paced than the 2.5-percent gain in Dallas-Plano-Irving.

Three other local sectors each had annual job gains of at least 5,000: government (+7,800), mining, logging, and construction (+7,700), other services (+5,000).

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in February 2018. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 5 areas exceeding the national increase of 1.6 percent. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale had the fastest rate of job growth, up 3.0 percent, followed by Dallas, up 2.7 percent. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin had the slowest rate of job growth, 0.7 percent, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, at 0.9 percent each. (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs since February 2017, 124,200, followed by Dallas (+96,000) and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (+93,400). Boston had the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 24,500 jobs, followed by Philadelphia (+25,800). Annual gains in the remaining seven metropolitan areas ranged from 67,100 in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land to 30,600 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach.

Over the year, professional and business services added the most jobs in five areas: Boston, Houston, Miami, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. Education and health services gained the most jobs in three areas: New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix.

The information supersector lost the most jobs over the year in six areas. Dallas was the only metropolitan area to have no annual job losses in any supersector.

Metropolitan area employment data for March 2018 are scheduled to be released on Friday, April 4, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

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

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period that 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 2012 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 sample of establishments is very small or highly variable. In these cases, a model-based approach is used in estimation. These models use the direct sample estimates (described above), combined with forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease volatility in estimation. Two different models (Fay-Herriot Model and Small Domain Model) are used depending on the industry level being estimated. For more detailed information about each model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports that 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.

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 the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for the total private employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series at the area and division level are available upon request. Measures of sampling error for states down to the supersector level are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Measures of nonsampling error are not available for the areas contained in this release. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/sae/benchmark2017.pdf

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, dated July 15, 2015. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hood, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise Counties in Texas.

• The Dallas-Plano-Irving Metropolitan Division includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, and Rockwall Counties in Texas.
• The Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division includes Hood, Johnson, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise Counties in Texas.

Additional information

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available online at www.bls.gov/opub/ee/home.htm. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the CES program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	Feb. 2017	Dec. 2017	Jan. 2018	Feb. 2018(p)	Feb. 2017 to Feb. 2018(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	144,423	148,530	145,472	146,696	2,273	1.6
Mining and logging	645	700	693	702	57	8.8
Construction	6,527	6,970	6,692	6,800	273	4.2
Manufacturing	12,315	12,560	12,484	12,537	222	1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	27,071	28,337	27,464	27,325	254	0.9
Information	2,810	2,784	2,724	2,742	-68	-2.4
Financial activities	8,344	8,516	8,461	8,488	144	1.7
Professional and business services	19,971	20,770	20,319	20,450	479	2.4
Education and health services	23,142	23,556	23,250	23,592	450	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	15,283	15,862	15,452	15,601	318	2.1
Other services	5,690	5,800	5,751	5,784	94	1.7
Government	22,625	22,675	22,182	22,675	50	0.2
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	3,543.1	3,666.8	3,616.2	3,639.1	96.0	2.7
Mining, logging, and construction	208.1	211.9	210.3	215.8	7.7	3.7
Manufacturing	267.7	274.6	273.1	276.4	8.7	3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	755.4	796.0	774.9	768.9	13.5	1.8
Information	83.4	84.2	83.6	83.5	0.1	0.1
Financial activities	288.3	295.5	295.5	297.0	8.7	3.0
Professional and business services	585.6	602.3	592.7	599.3	13.7	2.3
Education and health services	438.9	450.4	449.0	450.7	11.8	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	361.4	383.1	378.2	380.4	19.0	5.3
Other services	118.9	123.3	122.8	123.9	5.0	4.2
Government	435.4	445.5	436.1	443.2	7.8	1.8
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	2,529.8	2,618.4	2,584.3	2,600.2	70.4	2.8
Mining, logging, and construction	137.2	141.4	141.3	146.9	9.7	7.1
Manufacturing	175.2	179.3	178.4	181.0	5.8	3.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	506.9	535.3	520.7	515.1	8.2	1.6
Information	72.1	72.9	72.4	72.4	0.3	0.4
Financial activities	230.0	235.2	234.8	235.7	5.7	2.5
Professional and business services	476.9	488.5	482.9	486.1	9.2	1.9
Education and health services	305.5	313.0	312.2	313.0	7.5	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	247.9	262.8	258.7	261.1	13.2	5.3
Other services	80.8	85.2	84.8	86.1	5.3	6.6
Government	297.3	304.8	298.1	302.8	5.5	1.8
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	1,013.3	1,048.4	1,031.9	1,038.9	25.6	2.5
Mining, logging, and construction	70.9	70.5	69.0	68.9	-2.0	-2.8
Manufacturing	92.5	95.3	94.7	95.4	2.9	3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	248.5	260.7	254.2	253.8	5.3	2.1
Information	11.3	11.3	11.2	11.1	-0.2	-1.8
Financial activities	58.3	60.3	60.7	61.3	3.0	5.1
Professional and business services	108.7	113.8	109.8	113.2	4.5	4.1
Education and health services	133.4	137.4	136.8	137.7	4.3	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	113.5	120.3	119.5	119.3	5.8	5.1
Other services	38.1	38.1	38.0	37.8	-0.3	-0.8
Government	138.1	140.7	138.0	140.4	2.3	1.7
(p) preliminary

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

Area and Industry	Feb. 2017	Dec. 2017	Jan. 2018	Feb. 2018(p)	Feb. 2017 to Feb. 2018(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,681.8	2,767.0	2,713.6	2,734.4	52.6	2.0
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	118.3	125.6	120.7	124.1	5.8	4.9
Manufacturing	166.4	169.4	167.8	168.5	2.1	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	592.9	622.9	609.7	609.4	16.5	2.8
Information	98.8	99.5	92.4	91.9	-6.9	-7.0
Financial activities	167.9	170.4	167.1	168.8	0.9	0.5
Professional and business services	491.4	501.2	490.0	494.8	3.4	0.7
Education and health services	336.9	349.2	346.3	349.8	12.9	3.8
Leisure and hospitality	277.9	290.3	284.3	289.1	11.2	4.0
Other services	97.5	100.3	99.4	99.6	2.1	2.2
Government	332.2	336.6	334.3	336.8	4.6	1.4
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,681.5	2,767.7	2,696.1	2,706.0	24.5	0.9
Mining, logging, and construction	100.9	114.5	107.8	107.5	6.6	6.5
Manufacturing	185.9	188.7	186.9	187.0	1.1	0.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	415.2	436.7	420.8	412.6	-2.6	-0.6
Information	79.2	79.0	79.2	79.1	-0.1	-0.1
Financial activities	183.5	184.2	181.5	182.2	-1.3	-0.7
Professional and business services	468.4	487.5	479.1	481.8	13.4	2.9
Education and health services	580.3	589.0	574.1	587.6	7.3	1.3
Leisure and hospitality	252.3	267.4	256.5	253.3	1.0	0.4
Other services	99.3	103.9	101.6	101.2	1.9	1.9
Government	316.5	316.8	308.6	313.7	-2.8	-0.9
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,597.3	4,730.9	4,604.8	4,629.3	32.0	0.7
Mining and logging	1.3	1.5	1.5	1.5	0.2	15.4
Construction	152.9	171.4	155.6	156.4	3.5	2.3
Manufacturing	412.3	420.2	415.7	417.7	5.4	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	935.2	980.3	942.3	938.2	3.0	0.3
Information	80.6	78.2	75.9	75.8	-4.8	-6.0
Financial activities	300.0	304.8	305.8	307.0	7.0	2.3
Professional and business services	799.2	827.6	798.4	802.9	3.7	0.5
Education and health services	723.7	727.1	720.7	729.2	5.5	0.8
Leisure and hospitality	453.6	467.7	455.9	451.7	-1.9	-0.4
Other services	192.8	194.2	192.4	193.1	0.3	0.2
Government	545.7	557.9	540.6	555.8	10.1	1.9
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,543.1	3,666.8	3,616.2	3,639.1	96.0	2.7
Mining, logging, and construction	208.1	211.9	210.3	215.8	7.7	3.7
Manufacturing	267.7	274.6	273.1	276.4	8.7	3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	755.4	796.0	774.9	768.9	13.5	1.8
Information	83.4	84.2	83.6	83.5	0.1	0.1
Financial activities	288.3	295.5	295.5	297.0	8.7	3.0
Professional and business services	585.6	602.3	592.7	599.3	13.7	2.3
Education and health services	438.9	450.4	449.0	450.7	11.8	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	361.4	383.1	378.2	380.4	19.0	5.3
Other services	118.9	123.3	122.8	123.9	5.0	4.2
Government	435.4	445.5	436.1	443.2	7.8	1.8
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	2,991.4	3,073.4	3,032.1	3,058.5	67.1	2.2
Mining and logging	77.0	77.9	78.5	78.7	1.7	2.2
Construction	214.2	221.4	219.8	223.5	9.3	4.3
Manufacturing	217.9	221.1	221.4	222.7	4.8	2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	609.9	640.2	622.1	622.3	12.4	2.0
Information	32.2	31.9	31.8	31.6	-0.6	-1.9
Financial activities	157.4	160.4	160.4	161.4	4.0	2.5
Professional and business services	471.7	492.8	489.3	497.1	25.4	5.4
Education and health services	382.9	383.9	380.4	385.3	2.4	0.6
Leisure and hospitality	309.1	318.5	312.5	315.1	6.0	1.9
Other services	108.2	109.2	108.9	108.1	-0.1	-0.1
Government	410.9	416.1	407.0	412.7	1.8	0.4
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	5,993.4	6,169.0	6,056.6	6,086.8	93.4	1.6
Mining and logging	2.9	2.9	2.9	2.9	0.0	0.0
Construction	229.4	242.9	238.7	243.4	14.0	6.1
Manufacturing	511.1	507.8	503.4	509.1	-2.0	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,082.6	1,138.9	1,109.0	1,091.7	9.1	0.8
Information	258.7	246.2	231.1	243.1	-15.6	-6.0
Financial activities	337.8	343.9	338.9	339.4	1.6	0.5
Professional and business services	897.9	939.1	916.6	919.6	21.7	2.4
Education and health services	1,001.2	1,031.9	1,025.9	1,032.0	30.8	3.1
Leisure and hospitality	717.9	752.1	740.0	749.5	31.6	4.4
Other services	202.4	203.2	200.5	200.0	-2.4	-1.2
Government	751.5	760.1	749.6	756.1	4.6	0.6
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,632.1	2,679.3	2,640.9	2,662.7	30.6	1.2
Mining and logging	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.0	0.0
Construction	127.1	133.4	132.0	136.1	9.0	7.1
Manufacturing	88.4	92.0	91.4	92.9	4.5	5.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	596.0	619.0	600.9	600.8	4.8	0.8
Information	52.1	50.5	50.3	50.6	-1.5	-2.9
Financial activities	178.7	181.7	178.0	178.3	-0.4	-0.2
Professional and business services	432.4	443.2	436.2	443.5	11.1	2.6
Education and health services	391.0	395.6	391.1	393.1	2.1	0.5
Leisure and hospitality	327.4	324.9	326.0	329.0	1.6	0.5
Other services	123.5	125.7	123.1	123.8	0.3	0.2
Government	314.8	312.6	311.2	313.9	-0.9	-0.3
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,499.4	9,838.2	9,541.8	9,623.6	124.2	1.3
Mining, logging, and construction	373.3	398.2	375.3	381.7	8.4	2.3
Manufacturing	362.7	363.6	359.1	360.9	-1.8	-0.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,711.5	1,814.0	1,750.8	1,735.9	24.4	1.4
Information	284.8	288.3	279.6	281.9	-2.9	-1.0
Financial activities	765.8	781.8	772.4	773.4	7.6	1.0
Professional and business services	1,504.3	1,563.5	1,519.0	1,531.3	27.0	1.8
Education and health services	1,916.6	1,979.7	1,932.0	1,972.0	55.4	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	860.3	904.6	856.6	862.2	1.9	0.2
Other services	415.3	426.8	416.4	421.1	5.8	1.4
Government	1,304.8	1,317.7	1,280.6	1,303.2	-1.6	-0.1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,867.1	2,950.9	2,875.9	2,892.9	25.8	0.9
Mining, logging, and construction	111.1	113.8	105.9	109.7	-1.4	-1.3
Manufacturing	178.4	181.8	179.5	180.1	1.7	1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	515.4	542.1	524.4	520.9	5.5	1.1
Information	46.3	45.2	44.8	44.8	-1.5	-3.2
Financial activities	212.5	215.6	213.9	213.9	1.4	0.7
Professional and business services	454.2	472.1	456.9	457.9	3.7	0.8
Education and health services	641.2	656.5	644.7	657.1	15.9	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	249.4	260.0	251.0	249.8	0.4	0.2
Other services	118.6	119.9	118.4	118.2	-0.4	-0.3
Government	340.0	343.9	336.4	340.5	0.5	0.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,019.3	2,088.4	2,053.0	2,079.3	60.0	3.0
Mining and logging	3.1	3.1	3.1	3.1	0.0	0.0
Construction	108.1	118.4	116.6	118.0	9.9	9.2
Manufacturing	120.7	128.2	127.3	127.5	6.8	5.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	389.8	409.2	397.9	398.7	8.9	2.3
Information	35.7	35.6	35.4	35.9	0.2	0.6
Financial activities	183.3	188.8	188.4	189.8	6.5	3.5
Professional and business services	340.6	354.0	344.0	346.7	6.1	1.8
Education and health services	304.7	315.4	314.3	319.4	14.7	4.8
Leisure and hospitality	221.7	225.9	222.6	227.7	6.0	2.7
Other services	65.6	65.7	65.6	65.1	-0.5	-0.8
Government	246.0	244.1	237.8	247.4	1.4	0.6
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,364.5	2,437.7	2,397.9	2,410.1	45.6	1.9
Mining and logging	0.4	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.1	25.0
Construction	112.9	119.5	116.8	118.1	5.2	4.6
Manufacturing	136.4	141.6	141.0	141.1	4.7	3.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	378.9	399.2	384.8	382.5	3.6	1.0
Information	102.3	108.1	107.4	108.6	6.3	6.2
Financial activities	141.4	143.9	142.7	142.5	1.1	0.8
Professional and business services	472.0	485.9	480.7	485.2	13.2	2.8
Education and health services	348.6	356.4	351.1	355.9	7.3	2.1
Leisure and hospitality	265.1	273.7	267.4	267.5	2.4	0.9
Other services	85.6	84.4	84.5	85.1	-0.5	-0.6
Government	320.9	324.5	321.0	323.1	2.2	0.7
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,233.3	3,310.2	3,256.2	3,278.1	44.8	1.4
Mining, logging, and construction	154.6	159.5	156.9	158.7	4.1	2.7
Manufacturing	54.4	54.7	54.2	54.2	-0.2	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	399.3	421.0	405.9	402.1	2.8	0.7
Information	74.4	74.9	74.3	74.5	0.1	0.1
Financial activities	155.4	158.6	157.7	158.1	2.7	1.7
Professional and business services	735.8	748.6	744.5	752.4	16.6	2.3
Education and health services	436.9	449.8	443.9	444.5	7.6	1.7
Leisure and hospitality	312.5	326.0	320.5	322.2	9.7	3.1
Other services	204.3	210.6	205.8	209.0	4.7	2.3
Government	705.7	706.5	692.5	702.4	-3.3	-0.5
(p) preliminary