Total nonfarm employment in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,847,500 in February 2020, up 126,000 over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. From February 2019 to February 2020, local nonfarm employment rose 3.4 percent compared to the national rate of 1.6 percent. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Acting Regional Commissioner Susan Mendez noted that among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Dallas ranked first in both the number of jobs added over the year and the annual rate of job growth. (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 95,200 jobs from February a year ago, an increase of 3.6 percent. The Fort Worth-Arlington Metropolitan Division, which accounted for the remaining 29 percent of the area’s workforce, added 30,800 jobs during the period, a gain of 2.9 percent.

Industry employment

Professional and business services added 28,700 jobs in the area from February 2019 to February 2020, the largest gain of any local supersector. The Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan division was responsible for the majority of the local gain in this sector, with 23,100 jobs added (+4.5 percent), although the Fort Worth-Arlington division added jobs (+5,600) at a slightly faster pace (+4.7 percent). The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area’s 4.6-percent annual rate of job growth in this supersector compared to the U.S. increase of 2.0 percent. (See chart 2.)

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington added 18,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality from February 2019 to February 2020. The local 4.7-percent annual job growth rate compared to the national increase of 2.6 percent. The leisure and hospitality supersector registered growth in both metropolitan divisions as employment rose 5.3 percent in Fort Worth-Arlington and 4.4 percent in Dallas-Plano-Irving.

Employment was up 16,900 over the year in education and health services in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington. The area’s 3.7-percent rate of job growth compared to the U.S. rate of 2.7 percent. Job gains were nearly as high in Fort Worth-Arlington (+7,300) as in Dallas-Plano-Irving (+9,600).

Trade, transportation, and utilities, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s largest supersector, added 16,100 jobs from February 2019 to February 2020. Locally, employment rose in all three sub-sectors: transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+8,100); wholesale trade (+6,100); and retail trade (+1,900). This was the first annual gain in the retail sector since October 2018. The 2.1-percent rate of local job growth compared to the national gain of 0.4 percent.

Mining, logging, and construction added 13,800 jobs locally, a 6.2-percent gain over the year. The Dallas-Plano-Irving metropolitan division added jobs at a faster pace than the Fort Worth-Arlington area, as employment in this sector expanded 8.2 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively.

Financial activities also added 13,800 jobs from February a year ago. The local 4.4-percent rate of annual job growth was more than double the 1.9-percent national rate. Both metropolitan areas contributed to the supersector’s job gain.

Four local sectors had annual job gains ranging from 9,500 to 1,400 from February 2019 to February 2020: government (+9,500), other services (+5,300), manufacturing (+2,500), and information (+1,400).

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in February 2020. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 6 areas above the national average of 1.6 percent. Dallas had the fastest rate of job growth, up 3.4 percent, followed by Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+3.2 percent). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin had the slowest rate of annual job growth (+0.6 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

Dallas added the largest number of jobs over the year, 126,000, followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (+103,100), and New York-Newark-Jersey City (+100,100). Boston-Cambridge-Nashua had the smallest employment gain over the year (+25,100), followed by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach (+28,900). Annual job gains in the remaining seven metropolitan areas ranged from 69,800 in Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale to 29,200 in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington.

Over the year, educational and health services added the most jobs in eight areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Boston, Chicago, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Professional and business services added the most jobs in the four remaining areas.

Manufacturing lost the most jobs in five areas: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward. Boston had an equal number of job losses in manufacturing and other services. Dallas, Phoenix, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria were the only areas to experience job gains in all supersectors from February 2019 to February 2020.

Metropolitan area employment data for March 2020 are scheduled to be released on Friday, April 17, 2020, 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 at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/benchmark.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 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. Detailed industry employment data for metropolitan areas from the CES program are available from the State and Area Employment databases at www.bls.gov/sae/data/.

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. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020(p)	Feb. 2019 to Feb. 2020(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	148,684	152,929	150,117	150,997	2,313	1.6
Mining and logging	730	714	700	701	-29	-4.0
Construction	7,062	7,447	7,241	7,270	208	2.9
Manufacturing	12,762	12,876	12,763	12,792	30	0.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	27,351	28,582	27,725	27,452	101	0.4
Information	2,830	2,895	2,854	2,878	48	1.7
Financial activities	8,633	8,819	8,761	8,793	160	1.9
Professional and business services	20,841	21,600	21,135	21,248	407	2.0
Education and health services	24,044	24,633	24,390	24,692	648	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	15,841	16,450	16,095	16,259	418	2.6
Other services	5,797	5,902	5,860	5,883	86	1.5
Government	22,793	23,011	22,593	23,029	236	1.0
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	3,721.5	3,875.6	3,818.6	3,847.5	126.0	3.4
Mining, logging, and construction	221.9	234.6	232.3	235.7	13.8	6.2
Manufacturing	286.6	290.5	288.1	289.1	2.5	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	780.6	832.5	803.1	796.7	16.1	2.1
Information	81.5	83.3	83.7	82.9	1.4	1.7
Financial activities	312.5	324.3	323.8	326.3	13.8	4.4
Professional and business services	626.5	651.4	644.3	655.2	28.7	4.6
Education and health services	458.6	475.2	471.8	475.5	16.9	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	384.3	401.9	397.8	402.3	18.0	4.7
Other services	124.5	127.5	127.2	129.8	5.3	4.3
Government	444.5	454.4	446.5	454.0	9.5	2.1
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	2,644.4	2,762.4	2,720.1	2,739.6	95.2	3.6
Mining, logging, and construction	145.6	156.5	154.3	157.6	12.0	8.2
Manufacturing	184.4	188.9	187.6	187.9	3.5	1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	521.2	558.6	537.8	532.6	11.4	2.2
Information	70.9	72.6	73.1	72.3	1.4	2.0
Financial activities	244.6	254.5	254.2	256.0	11.4	4.7
Professional and business services	507.7	526.1	521.8	530.8	23.1	4.5
Education and health services	318.6	330.0	326.9	328.2	9.6	3.0
Leisure and hospitality	262.6	275.1	271.5	274.2	11.6	4.4
Other services	84.3	86.3	84.8	87.1	2.8	3.3
Government	304.5	313.8	308.1	312.9	8.4	2.8
Fort Worth-Arlington, TX Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm	1,077.1	1,113.2	1,098.5	1,107.9	30.8	2.9
Mining, logging, and construction	76.3	78.1	78.0	78.1	1.8	2.4
Manufacturing	102.2	101.6	100.5	101.2	-1.0	-1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	259.4	273.9	265.3	264.1	4.7	1.8
Information	10.6	10.7	10.6	10.6	0.0	0.0
Financial activities	67.9	69.8	69.6	70.3	2.4	3.5
Professional and business services	118.8	125.3	122.5	124.4	5.6	4.7
Education and health services	140.0	145.2	144.9	147.3	7.3	5.2
Leisure and hospitality	121.7	126.8	126.3	128.1	6.4	5.3
Other services	40.2	41.2	42.4	42.7	2.5	6.2
Government	140.0	140.6	138.4	141.1	1.1	0.8
(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. 2019	Dec. 2019	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020(p)	Feb. 2019 to Feb. 2020(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,819.3	2,904.0	2,862.6	2,861.7	42.4	1.5
Mining and logging	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5	0.0	0.0
Construction	128.0	130.7	127.7	129.6	1.6	1.3
Manufacturing	170.3	172.1	172.1	171.6	1.3	0.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	594.8	623.6	611.0	603.8	9.0	1.5
Information	101.9	102.0	100.4	101.7	-0.2	-0.2
Financial activities	174.8	179.2	177.6	178.4	3.6	2.1
Professional and business services	544.9	562.6	546.9	546.7	1.8	0.3
Education and health services	368.9	384.1	382.9	383.9	15.0	4.1
Leisure and hospitality	296.5	303.5	300.5	302.0	5.5	1.9
Other services	102.4	105.6	104.8	104.1	1.7	1.7
Government	335.3	339.1	337.2	338.4	3.1	0.9
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,761.7	2,827.0	2,768.8	2,786.8	25.1	0.9
Mining, logging, and construction	113.1	120.3	114.7	113.6	0.5	0.4
Manufacturing	187.3	187.8	185.8	186.5	-0.8	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	419.9	436.3	427.4	419.6	-0.3	-0.1
Information	79.6	82.5	82.9	83.0	3.4	4.3
Financial activities	184.7	186.6	186.7	186.9	2.2	1.2
Professional and business services	503.6	518.0	506.8	509.3	5.7	1.1
Education and health services	592.7	599.6	588.7	604.0	11.3	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	261.5	271.8	261.6	263.8	2.3	0.9
Other services	101.8	102.9	102.0	101.0	-0.8	-0.8
Government	317.5	321.2	312.2	319.1	1.6	0.5
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,663.8	4,791.0	4,686.3	4,694.0	30.2	0.6
Mining and logging	1.6	1.8	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	159.0	173.9	161.6	161.4	2.4	1.5
Manufacturing	420.6	416.5	410.8	413.1	-7.5	-1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	932.7	975.1	946.1	935.0	2.3	0.2
Information	78.6	80.4	79.0	79.4	0.8	1.0
Financial activities	313.6	320.9	317.6	318.1	4.5	1.4
Professional and business services	816.2	833.7	811.8	816.1	-0.1	0.0
Education and health services	734.5	751.9	747.7	754.8	20.3	2.8
Leisure and hospitality	465.4	482.0	469.9	466.7	1.3	0.3
Other services	197.4	199.8	198.8	197.7	0.3	0.2
Government	544.2	555.0	541.4	550.1	5.9	1.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,721.5	3,875.6	3,818.6	3,847.5	126.0	3.4
Mining, logging, and construction	221.9	234.6	232.3	235.7	13.8	6.2
Manufacturing	286.6	290.5	288.1	289.1	2.5	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	780.6	832.5	803.1	796.7	16.1	2.1
Information	81.5	83.3	83.7	82.9	1.4	1.7
Financial activities	312.5	324.3	323.8	326.3	13.8	4.4
Professional and business services	626.5	651.4	644.3	655.2	28.7	4.6
Education and health services	458.6	475.2	471.8	475.5	16.9	3.7
Leisure and hospitality	384.3	401.9	397.8	402.3	18.0	4.7
Other services	124.5	127.5	127.2	129.8	5.3	4.3
Government	444.5	454.4	446.5	454.0	9.5	2.1
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	3,132.9	3,209.5	3,165.0	3,201.8	68.9	2.2
Mining and logging	81.2	78.5	76.5	75.6	-5.6	-6.9
Construction	233.5	241.6	238.2	243.2	9.7	4.2
Manufacturing	235.7	234.9	230.0	232.9	-2.8	-1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	625.9	652.9	635.9	634.1	8.2	1.3
Information	32.0	32.7	32.5	32.7	0.7	2.2
Financial activities	164.4	168.8	168.1	167.4	3.0	1.8
Professional and business services	500.4	512.7	509.5	514.9	14.5	2.9
Education and health services	400.4	411.1	411.1	416.6	16.2	4.0
Leisure and hospitality	326.0	332.2	329.7	338.2	12.2	3.7
Other services	114.5	117.3	117.5	120.0	5.5	4.8
Government	418.9	426.8	416.0	426.2	7.3	1.7
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	6,207.1	6,349.7	6,259.8	6,310.2	103.1	1.7
Mining and logging	2.4	2.3	2.3	2.3	-0.1	-4.2
Construction	249.3	257.0	256.0	259.1	9.8	3.9
Manufacturing	500.2	498.3	494.4	495.5	-4.7	-0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,100.2	1,147.5	1,118.6	1,109.0	8.8	0.8
Information	259.6	250.9	253.2	265.9	6.3	2.4
Financial activities	339.0	345.2	342.8	344.9	5.9	1.7
Professional and business services	961.7	987.4	966.6	975.9	14.2	1.5
Education and health services	1,068.8	1,099.3	1,090.5	1,100.1	31.3	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	755.9	775.6	763.0	771.2	15.3	2.0
Other services	207.7	212.5	209.0	210.8	3.1	1.5
Government	762.3	773.7	763.4	775.5	13.2	1.7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,721.7	2,760.7	2,733.0	2,750.6	28.9	1.1
Mining and logging	0.7	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.1	14.3
Construction	140.9	142.2	141.9	141.6	0.7	0.5
Manufacturing	91.5	91.4	90.2	90.4	-1.1	-1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	612.0	636.9	620.8	618.3	6.3	1.0
Information	51.4	51.1	50.6	51.1	-0.3	-0.6
Financial activities	188.1	192.3	188.7	190.3	2.2	1.2
Professional and business services	448.2	451.6	450.7	455.5	7.3	1.6
Education and health services	409.9	413.2	408.9	413.2	3.3	0.8
Leisure and hospitality	337.9	338.9	337.4	344.7	6.8	2.0
Other services	121.2	120.7	121.1	122.6	1.4	1.2
Government	319.9	321.6	321.9	322.1	2.2	0.7
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,810.3	10,109.3	9,855.2	9,910.4	100.1	1.0
Mining, logging, and construction	399.8	404.5	392.1	393.6	-6.2	-1.6
Manufacturing	359.5	359.7	356.4	359.1	-0.4	-0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,714.0	1,790.5	1,734.3	1,707.1	-6.9	-0.4
Information	289.4	296.2	285.8	290.1	0.7	0.2
Financial activities	781.9	790.4	780.0	784.0	2.1	0.3
Professional and business services	1,569.2	1,630.8	1,588.1	1,597.3	28.1	1.8
Education and health services	2,055.0	2,115.1	2,081.4	2,111.2	56.2	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	890.0	937.5	894.5	900.5	10.5	1.2
Other services	421.9	429.7	426.1	427.8	5.9	1.4
Government	1,329.6	1,354.9	1,316.5	1,339.7	10.1	0.8
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,932.7	3,006.4	2,948.0	2,961.9	29.2	1.0
Mining, logging, and construction	113.2	117.3	113.6	113.0	-0.2	-0.2
Manufacturing	183.0	183.7	182.8	182.4	-0.6	-0.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	520.1	544.9	525.9	520.3	0.2	0.0
Information	48.5	50.1	49.4	49.3	0.8	1.6
Financial activities	216.2	219.0	216.6	217.5	1.3	0.6
Professional and business services	459.8	472.3	468.4	467.0	7.2	1.6
Education and health services	670.2	677.8	667.8	680.8	10.6	1.6
Leisure and hospitality	260.1	272.5	264.0	266.5	6.4	2.5
Other services	120.6	122.1	120.6	121.9	1.3	1.1
Government	341.0	346.7	338.9	343.2	2.2	0.6
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,162.1	2,249.5	2,215.5	2,231.9	69.8	3.2
Mining and logging	3.5	3.6	3.6	3.6	0.1	2.9
Construction	130.5	135.7	135.2	138.0	7.5	5.7
Manufacturing	131.4	135.0	133.9	133.7	2.3	1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	405.1	430.8	417.3	416.9	11.8	2.9
Information	40.0	40.9	40.7	40.6	0.6	1.5
Financial activities	199.1	205.7	204.7	204.9	5.8	2.9
Professional and business services	362.7	380.1	372.1	371.2	8.5	2.3
Education and health services	335.7	352.2	349.2	353.8	18.1	5.4
Leisure and hospitality	233.8	238.0	235.1	241.7	7.9	3.4
Other services	70.3	72.4	70.5	70.4	0.1	0.1
Government	250.0	255.1	253.2	257.1	7.1	2.8
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,447.8	2,514.6	2,477.8	2,489.3	41.5	1.7
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	121.5	125.7	123.2	123.5	2.0	1.6
Manufacturing	145.2	144.3	144.2	143.7	-1.5	-1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	370.6	385.7	373.7	369.3	-1.3	-0.4
Information	123.1	131.2	129.8	130.2	7.1	5.8
Financial activities	145.1	148.3	147.7	147.8	2.7	1.9
Professional and business services	491.0	509.4	504.5	509.0	18.0	3.7
Education and health services	362.1	369.3	366.4	371.2	9.1	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	277.7	285.8	278.0	280.9	3.2	1.2
Other services	87.4	88.2	87.8	88.3	0.9	1.0
Government	323.8	326.4	322.2	325.1	1.3	0.4
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,305.7	3,396.3	3,338.7	3,361.3	55.6	1.7
Mining, logging, and construction	159.4	163.5	161.6	163.0	3.6	2.3
Manufacturing	55.9	58.2	57.6	58.7	2.8	5.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	400.2	426.4	406.7	404.2	4.0	1.0
Information	75.9	77.0	77.3	78.2	2.3	3.0
Financial activities	158.9	163.0	162.8	162.5	3.6	2.3
Professional and business services	765.4	787.3	780.1	785.4	20.0	2.6
Education and health services	451.2	453.4	447.5	451.7	0.5	0.1
Leisure and hospitality	322.7	334.6	326.4	330.3	7.6	2.4
Other services	208.3	212.8	212.5	210.9	2.6	1.2
Government	707.8	720.1	706.2	716.4	8.6	1.2
(p) preliminary