Total nonfarm employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,169,300 in July 2019, up 93,600 or 3.0 percent, from one year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased 1.5 percent. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted that among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Houston ranked second in the annual rate of job growth and third in the number of jobs added over the year. (See chart 1 and table 1; the Technical Note at the end of this release contains metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

Industry employment

In the Houston metropolitan area, professional and business services added the largest number of jobs from July 2018 to July 2019, up 24,500. Job gains were widespread within the sector, including the architectural, engineering, and related services industry, which added 7,700 jobs, an 11.1-percent increase over the year. Houston’s professional and business services supersector employment rose 4.9 percent since July 2018, compared to the national increase of 2.2 percent. (See table 1 and chart 2.)

Houston manufacturing added 11,000 jobs from July a year ago, the second-largest job gain among the supersectors. Local job growth was concentrated in durable goods manufacturing (+10,300). The 4.8-percent increase in Houston’s manufacturing employment compared to a gain of 1.2 percent nationally. July marked the 24^th consecutive month of annual job growth in local manufacturing following 28 consecutive months of annual declines.

The leisure and hospitality supersector gained 9,900 jobs since July 2018. The local annual increase of 3.0 percent compared to the national increase of 2.0 percent.

Construction added 9,400 jobs in the Houston area from July 2018 to July 2019. The specialty trade contractors and heavy and civil engineering construction sectors each added 5,000 jobs or more over the year. The supersector’s gains were offset by an annual loss of 1,100 jobs in construction of buildings sector. Houston’s construction sector added jobs at a 4.3-percent rate over the year, compared to the U.S. gain of 2.7 percent.

Houston’s education and health services supersector added 9,100 jobs from July a year ago. The health care and social assistance subsector added 7,800 jobs and educational services added 1,300 jobs. The education and health services supersector had a 2.3-percent rate of job growth in Houston, compared to 2.6 percent nationwide.

Four local supersectors added between 8,300 and 5,100 jobs over the year. Other services added 8,300 jobs since July 2018. Area employment in the supersector rose 7.4 percent, compared to the 1.8-percent gain for the nation. The mining and logging supersector added 7,700 jobs in Houston over the year. Local mining and logging employment rose 9.8 percent compared to the national increase of 2.3 percent. Employment in Houston’s largest sector–trade, transportation, and utilities–rose by 7,100 jobs since July 2018. The local annual growth rate was 1.1 percent while the U.S. rate was 0.6 percent. The government sector added 5,100 jobs in Houston over the year. Local government educational services accounted for the largest share of the gain, at 3,100 jobs. Government employment in Houston rose 1.3 percent, compared to the national increase of 0.4 percent.

The only local supersector to record an employment loss between July 2018 and July 2019 was information (-1,400). This industry lost jobs both locally and nationally. In Houston, employment fell 4.4 percent over the year, while nationally it declined 0.5 percent.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in July 2019. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 7 areas equaling or exceeding the national increase of 1.5 percent. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (+3.5 percent), Houston (+3.0 percent), and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+2.9 percent) had the fastest annual rates of job growth. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (+1.2 percent), Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (+1.3 percent), and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (+1.3 percent) had the slowest rates of job growth. (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs over the year, 145,600, followed by Dallas (+129,300) and Houston (+93,600). Philadelphia had the smallest employment gain over the year, 36,100, followed by Boston with 36,700 jobs, and Washington (+44,600). Annual job gains in the remaining six metropolitan areas ranged from 87,800 in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim to 58,000 in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in five areas: Boston, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, New York, and Phoenix. Professional business services also added the most jobs in five areas: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Leisure and hospitality added the most jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin and Washington.

The information supersector recorded the largest employment loss in four areas: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. Trade, transportation, and utilities lost the most jobs in three areas: Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington. Miami was the only area to experience no annual employment losses in among the supersectors since July 2018.

Metropolitan area employment data for August 2019 are scheduled to be released on Friday, September 20, 2019, 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 2017 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 nonfarm 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/publications/benchmark-article/annual-benchmark-article.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 April 10, 2018. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller 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 Current Employment Statistics program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the Internet 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 Houston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	Jul. 2018	May 2019	Jun. 2019	Jul. 2019(p)	Jul. 2018 to Jul. 2019(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	148,948	151,610	152,242	151,183	2,235	1.5
Mining and logging	745	754	762	762	17	2.3
Construction	7,555	7,543	7,700	7,756	201	2.7
Manufacturing	12,783	12,811	12,925	12,935	152	1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	27,636	27,687	27,829	27,794	158	0.6
Information	2,850	2,806	2,839	2,837	-13	-0.5
Financial activities	8,653	8,636	8,714	8,761	108	1.2
Professional and business services	21,139	21,399	21,577	21,605	466	2.2
Education and health services	23,333	24,218	24,038	23,951	618	2.6
Leisure and hospitality	17,164	16,961	17,396	17,504	340	2.0
Other services	5,917	5,956	6,016	6,021	104	1.8
Government	21,173	22,839	22,446	21,257	84	0.4
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	3,075.7	3,167.4	3,185.2	3,169.3	93.6	3.0
Mining and logging	78.6	86.6	87.6	86.3	7.7	9.8
Construction	219.4	225.4	229.6	228.8	9.4	4.3
Manufacturing	230.4	239.8	240.9	241.4	11.0	4.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	622.3	623.6	630.4	629.4	7.1	1.1
Information	31.8	30.7	30.7	30.4	-1.4	-4.4
Financial activities	165.3	165.1	166.6	168.2	2.9	1.8
Professional and business services	496.4	514.6	516.4	520.9	24.5	4.9
Education and health services	392.5	403.9	402.0	401.6	9.1	2.3
Leisure and hospitality	333.3	335.4	341.1	343.2	9.9	3.0
Other services	112.0	119.1	122.2	120.3	8.3	7.4
Government	393.7	423.2	417.7	398.8	5.1	1.3
(p) preliminary

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

Area and Industry	Jul. 2018	May 2019	Jun. 2019	Jul. 2019(p)	Jul. 2018 to Jul. 2019(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,781.6	2,835.2	2,841.7	2,839.6	58.0	2.1
Mining and logging	1.6	1.5	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	127.0	133.8	134.6	134.1	7.1	5.6
Manufacturing	171.8	172.4	174.0	175.2	3.4	2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	603.1	606.0	606.6	606.4	3.3	0.5
Information	97.4	96.4	99.1	99.1	1.7	1.7
Financial activities	175.4	173.1	174.6	176.3	0.9	0.5
Professional and business services	522.3	536.0	539.2	542.7	20.4	3.9
Education and health services	351.0	362.4	359.7	360.1	9.1	2.6
Leisure and hospitality	307.2	314.4	318.5	319.0	11.8	3.8
Other services	102.6	99.3	98.6	99.2	-3.4	-3.3
Government	322.2	339.9	335.2	325.9	3.7	1.1
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,782.1	2,802.7	2,837.1	2,818.8	36.7	1.3
Mining, logging, and construction	123.0	120.3	122.3	124.2	1.2	1.0
Manufacturing	190.2	187.4	189.5	189.5	-0.7	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	424.7	421.2	426.0	423.6	-1.1	-0.3
Information	81.5	82.2	83.4	83.6	2.1	2.6
Financial activities	187.2	182.9	186.7	187.8	0.6	0.3
Professional and business services	510.4	506.5	513.7	515.6	5.2	1.0
Education and health services	575.9	594.9	591.2	592.6	16.7	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	291.2	281.1	299.4	299.5	8.3	2.9
Other services	108.1	105.2	107.9	109.7	1.6	1.5
Government	289.9	321.0	317.0	292.7	2.8	1.0
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,781.5	4,816.3	4,873.1	4,848.2	66.7	1.4
Mining and logging	1.7	1.6	1.7	1.6	-0.1	-5.9
Construction	189.2	182.6	189.7	192.3	3.1	1.6
Manufacturing	424.5	427.1	430.2	429.4	4.9	1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	952.1	954.7	962.4	959.9	7.8	0.8
Information	79.0	73.2	74.5	74.4	-4.6	-5.8
Financial activities	315.5	312.1	317.0	318.4	2.9	0.9
Professional and business services	848.6	846.2	859.7	860.1	11.5	1.4
Education and health services	719.8	752.3	746.6	738.2	18.4	2.6
Leisure and hospitality	511.6	511.0	531.4	533.8	22.2	4.3
Other services	201.1	200.3	201.2	199.6	-1.5	-0.7
Government	538.4	555.2	558.7	540.5	2.1	0.4
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,679.1	3,782.0	3,810.1	3,808.4	129.3	3.5
Mining, logging, and construction	223.1	228.4	234.2	236.7	13.6	6.1
Manufacturing	280.0	284.4	286.7	288.6	8.6	3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	780.9	795.3	799.2	801.8	20.9	2.7
Information	83.8	80.6	81.4	82.0	-1.8	-2.1
Financial activities	303.0	310.6	312.3	317.6	14.6	4.8
Professional and business services	622.4	639.4	647.2	654.2	31.8	5.1
Education and health services	449.6	460.8	461.4	464.1	14.5	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	391.1	403.4	411.8	408.1	17.0	4.3
Other services	126.4	128.3	132.5	130.8	4.4	3.5
Government	418.8	450.8	443.4	424.5	5.7	1.4
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	3,075.7	3,167.4	3,185.2	3,169.3	93.6	3.0
Mining and logging	78.6	86.6	87.6	86.3	7.7	9.8
Construction	219.4	225.4	229.6	228.8	9.4	4.3
Manufacturing	230.4	239.8	240.9	241.4	11.0	4.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	622.3	623.6	630.4	629.4	7.1	1.1
Information	31.8	30.7	30.7	30.4	-1.4	-4.4
Financial activities	165.3	165.1	166.6	168.2	2.9	1.8
Professional and business services	496.4	514.6	516.4	520.9	24.5	4.9
Education and health services	392.5	403.9	402.0	401.6	9.1	2.3
Leisure and hospitality	333.3	335.4	341.1	343.2	9.9	3.0
Other services	112.0	119.1	122.2	120.3	8.3	7.4
Government	393.7	423.2	417.7	398.8	5.1	1.3
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	6,100.3	6,228.2	6,246.4	6,188.1	87.8	1.4
Mining and logging	2.4	2.5	2.4	2.5	0.1	4.2
Construction	254.0	258.9	266.8	268.9	14.9	5.9
Manufacturing	505.4	502.0	505.2	505.0	-0.4	-0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,107.3	1,103.8	1,104.7	1,108.3	1.0	0.1
Information	231.8	233.6	236.9	234.8	3.0	1.3
Financial activities	344.1	336.5	338.1	340.9	-3.2	-0.9
Professional and business services	938.5	945.1	947.8	949.9	11.4	1.2
Education and health services	1,030.0	1,074.2	1,066.7	1,060.4	30.4	3.0
Leisure and hospitality	766.9	783.8	788.4	783.4	16.5	2.2
Other services	211.3	215.5	215.5	214.8	3.5	1.7
Government	708.6	772.3	773.9	719.2	10.6	1.5
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,635.9	2,731.5	2,703.8	2,699.8	63.9	2.4
Mining and logging	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.0	0.0
Construction	138.2	141.5	143.5	143.5	5.3	3.8
Manufacturing	89.4	91.4	91.5	92.2	2.8	3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	602.4	608.0	607.8	606.6	4.2	0.7
Information	50.5	50.8	50.6	50.6	0.1	0.2
Financial activities	184.5	186.3	186.2	186.7	2.2	1.2
Professional and business services	444.1	458.2	459.1	460.7	16.6	3.7
Education and health services	391.8	415.0	413.9	412.3	20.5	5.2
Leisure and hospitality	321.3	337.6	330.4	328.4	7.1	2.2
Other services	123.2	125.1	126.3	126.9	3.7	3.0
Government	289.8	316.9	293.8	291.2	1.4	0.5
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,859.7	9,980.3	10,058.8	10,005.3	145.6	1.5
Mining, logging, and construction	420.9	423.8	433.5	436.4	15.5	3.7
Manufacturing	362.4	363.2	366.9	364.8	2.4	0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,725.3	1,730.2	1,746.3	1,733.2	7.9	0.5
Information	295.1	290.9	296.5	297.1	2.0	0.7
Financial activities	795.0	770.5	780.9	786.5	-8.5	-1.1
Professional and business services	1,586.5	1,584.4	1,607.5	1,605.8	19.3	1.2
Education and health services	1,938.0	2,070.9	2,036.8	2,000.9	62.9	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	993.8	968.9	1,009.4	1,021.9	28.1	2.8
Other services	427.1	434.2	437.2	438.0	10.9	2.6
Government	1,315.6	1,343.3	1,343.8	1,320.7	5.1	0.4
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,921.8	2,981.9	2,988.0	2,957.9	36.1	1.2
Mining, logging, and construction	121.3	126.0	128.0	128.4	7.1	5.9
Manufacturing	182.8	181.6	183.5	183.0	0.2	0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	521.8	518.2	520.9	518.8	-3.0	-0.6
Information	48.7	48.1	49.0	49.2	0.5	1.0
Financial activities	218.2	215.7	218.6	218.6	0.4	0.2
Professional and business services	467.6	475.2	478.7	478.9	11.3	2.4
Education and health services	640.6	667.5	653.9	649.2	8.6	1.3
Leisure and hospitality	285.3	283.7	293.3	292.5	7.2	2.5
Other services	122.7	123.7	125.2	124.1	1.4	1.1
Government	312.8	342.2	336.9	315.2	2.4	0.8
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,056.9	2,159.2	2,126.5	2,117.4	60.5	2.9
Mining and logging	3.6	3.7	3.7	3.7	0.1	2.8
Construction	125.3	137.1	137.4	137.2	11.9	9.5
Manufacturing	128.4	133.8	134.8	135.9	7.5	5.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	401.2	407.2	408.8	409.4	8.2	2.0
Information	38.8	38.6	38.2	37.6	-1.2	-3.1
Financial activities	193.1	192.1	193.7	194.0	0.9	0.5
Professional and business services	351.1	361.3	361.4	357.1	6.0	1.7
Education and health services	315.2	338.6	333.7	333.9	18.7	5.9
Leisure and hospitality	221.7	233.4	228.7	226.6	4.9	2.2
Other services	69.4	71.2	70.7	69.7	0.3	0.4
Government	209.1	242.2	215.4	212.3	3.2	1.5
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,440.2	2,499.6	2,512.3	2,504.1	63.9	2.6
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	127.8	134.9	137.6	137.0	9.2	7.2
Manufacturing	146.7	143.0	143.7	144.6	-2.1	-1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	378.5	376.1	377.4	379.9	1.4	0.4
Information	118.7	120.7	123.0	123.9	5.2	4.4
Financial activities	142.4	144.8	145.8	147.3	4.9	3.4
Professional and business services	496.9	508.2	516.7	521.0	24.1	4.9
Education and health services	351.0	369.4	365.6	363.2	12.2	3.5
Leisure and hospitality	279.3	285.1	286.0	286.0	6.7	2.4
Other services	89.8	87.7	87.5	87.2	-2.6	-2.9
Government	308.8	329.4	328.7	313.7	4.9	1.6
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,318.8	3,335.7	3,359.7	3,363.4	44.6	1.3
Mining, logging, and construction	164.5	160.3	162.8	164.6	0.1	0.1
Manufacturing	56.2	55.7	56.2	56.2	0.0	0.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	406.8	402.6	405.8	403.7	-3.1	-0.8
Information	75.0	73.1	73.6	74.4	-0.6	-0.8
Financial activities	160.9	155.9	158.3	158.2	-2.7	-1.7
Professional and business services	772.0	770.6	778.6	784.0	12.0	1.6
Education and health services	435.4	444.5	443.3	444.5	9.1	2.1
Leisure and hospitality	349.3	353.0	362.9	363.9	14.6	4.2
Other services	211.3	208.9	212.0	212.8	1.5	0.7
Government	687.4	711.1	706.2	701.1	13.7	2.0
(p) preliminary