Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

20-1548-DAL
Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Houston Area Employment — July 2020

Total nonfarm employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 2,958,200 in July 2020, down 188,400, or 6.0 percent, from one year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count dropped 7.7 percent. (See chart 1.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that Houston ranked fourth among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, as 8 of the 12 areas had greater percentage losses. (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, the leisure and hospitality supersector had the largest employment decline, losing 60,500 jobs from July a year ago. Within the supersector, food services and drinking places had the largest decline, losing 39,500 jobs over the year. The accommodation industry also had a large loss over the year, down 8,000 jobs. The local 17.8-percent rate of job loss in leisure and hospitality compared to the 24.2-percent national decline. (See table 1 and chart 2.)

Houston’s second-largest employment loss occurred in the manufacturing supersector, down 21,800 jobs from July 2019 to July 2020. Local job losses were concentrated in durable goods manufacturing, but non-durable goods manufacturing also lost jobs, down 17,600 and 4,200, respectively. The local 9.2-percent rate of job loss in manufacturing compared to the 5.7-percent U.S. decline.

Employment in Houston’s largest supersector–trade, transportation, and utilities–fell by 21,100 jobs over the year. Locally, employment declined in two of the three sub-sectors: wholesale trade (-11,300) and retail trade (-10,300). The largest industry decrease among these sectors occurred in clothing and clothing accessories stores, down 1,200. Despite the overall retail trade employment decline, several local industries had job gains, notably general merchandise stores, including warehouse clubs and supercenters (+2,000), building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (+1,700), and food and beverage stores (+1,300). Locally, the trade, transportation, and utilities supersector’s rate of job loss was 3.4 percent, compared to a 5.7-percent loss nationally.

The mining and logging supersector in Houston lost 19,300 jobs over the year, with the majority of the losses in the support activities for mining industry (-14,400). Employment in the mining and logging supersector fell 24.2 percent over the year. Nationally, the rate of job loss was 15.3 percent.

Employment in construction fell 19,100 in the Houston area from July 2019 to July 2020. The majority of job losses occurred within specialty trade contractors, which fell 14,100. Area employment in the construction supersector declined 8.1 percent, compared to the 4.3-percent national decline.

Houston’s government supersector lost 18,000 jobs from July a year ago. Employment declines in state government educational services accounted for about half of the losses (-9,200). Employment in the government supersector fell 4.5 percent, both locally and nationally.

The other services supersector (which includes repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, membership associations, and private households) lost 15,400 jobs in the local area since July 2019. The rates of job loss in Houston and the U.S. were 13.3 percent and 10.0 percent, respectively.

Local employment losses were smaller in the four remaining supersectors: education and health service(-3,700), information (-3,500), professional and business services (-3,200), and financial activities (-2,800).

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 2020. All 12 areas had over-the-year job losses during the period, with the rates of job loss in 6 areas exceeding the national decrease of 7.7 percent. New York-Newark-Jersey City had the fastest rate of job loss (-13.6 percent), followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (-12.1 percent). Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale had the slowest rate of job loss, down 3.5 percent, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (-4.0 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York lost the largest number of jobs over the year (-1,354,700), followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (-628,000). The smallest employment loss occurred in Phoenix (-74,000). Annual losses in the remaining nine metropolitan areas ranged from 396,000 in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin to 135,000 in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell.

Over the year, leisure and hospitality lost the most jobs in all 12 metropolitan areas. New York had the largest loss of jobs for this sector (-439,800), followed by Los Angeles (-242,500). Atlanta and Phoenix recorded the smallest job losses for the leisure and hospitality sector (-48,300 each). The remaining eight areas had job losses ranging from 138,000 in Chicago to 60,500 in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land for this industry sector.

Phoenix had over-the-year employment gains in three sectors: trade, transportation, and utilities (5,900); education and health services (4,300); and other services (1,000). Dallas added 10,700 jobs in financial activities. No other area had job gains over 1,000.

Metropolitan area employment data for August 2020 are scheduled to be released on Friday, September 18, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Impact on July 2020 Establishment Survey Data

BLS has continued to review all estimation and methodological procedures for the establishment survey, which included the review of data, estimation processes, the application of the birth-death model, and seasonal adjustment. Business births and deaths cannot be adequately captured by the establishment survey as they occur. Therefore, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program uses a model to account for the relatively stable net employment change generated by business births and deaths. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the relationship between business births and deaths is no longer stable. Typically, reports with zero employment are not included in estimation. For the June final and July preliminary estimates, CES included a portion of these reports in the estimates and made modifications to the birth-death model. In addition for both months, the establishment survey included a portion of the reports that returned to reporting positive employment from reporting zero employment. For more information, see www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

In the establishment survey, workers who are paid by their employer for all or any part of the pay period including the 12th of the month are counted as employed, even if they were not actually at their jobs. Workers who are temporarily or permanently absent from their jobs and are not being paid are not counted as employed, even if they are continuing to receive benefits. The length of the reference period does vary across the respondents in the establishment survey; one-third of businesses have a weekly pay period, slightly over 40 percent a bi-weekly, about 20 percent semi-monthly, and a small amount monthly.


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, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller Counties.

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 Houston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryJul.
2019
May
2020
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020(p)
Jul. 2019 to
Jul. 2020(p)
Net changePercent change

United States

Total nonfarm

150,699133,432138,509139,100-11,599-7.7

Mining and logging

746631631632-114-15.3

Construction

7,7537,0767,3657,419-334-4.3

Manufacturing

12,91911,69712,16312,185-734-5.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

27,67124,76525,85126,094-1,577-5.7

Information

2,8832,5622,5852,578-305-10.6

Financial activities

8,8368,5648,6488,697-139-1.6

Professional and business services

21,45619,39619,84420,024-1,432-6.7

Education and health services

23,86322,23122,55622,641-1,222-5.1

Leisure and hospitality

17,28910,10912,44013,111-4,178-24.2

Other services

5,9794,8355,2295,382-597-10.0

Government

21,30421,56621,19720,337-967-4.5

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area

Total nonfarm

3,146.62,931.92,980.42,958.2-188.4-6.0

Mining and logging

79.961.961.560.6-19.3-24.2

Construction

236.4220.2218.7217.3-19.1-8.1

Manufacturing

237.9222.4219.7216.1-21.8-9.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

626.0600.5607.6604.9-21.1-3.4

Information

32.929.529.629.4-3.5-10.6

Financial activities

167.6163.3164.5164.8-2.8-1.7

Professional and business services

509.4486.5500.8506.2-3.2-0.6

Education and health services

401.1389.7395.7397.4-3.7-0.9

Leisure and hospitality

340.1256.8285.0279.6-60.5-17.8

Other services

116.292.198.7100.8-15.4-13.3

Government

399.1409.0398.6381.1-18.0-4.5

(p) preliminary


Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryJul.
2019
May
2020
Jun.
2020
Jul.
2020(p)
Jul. 2019 to
Jul. 2020(p)
Net changePercent change

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,838.22,600.32,687.92,703.2-135.0-4.8

Mining and logging

1.61.61.51.5-0.1-6.3

Construction

130.9126.3127.8127.1-3.8-2.9

Manufacturing

172.8153.1159.7161.0-11.8-6.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

599.7575.0588.0588.0-11.7-2.0

Information

101.290.391.291.6-9.6-9.5

Financial activities

179.1172.5174.1172.4-6.7-3.7

Professional and business services

548.9504.1515.9516.7-32.2-5.9

Education and health services

365.2357.3362.5363.9-1.3-0.4

Leisure and hospitality

311.9207.3250.6263.6-48.3-15.5

Other services

105.388.094.496.0-9.3-8.8

Government

321.6324.8322.2321.4-0.2-0.1

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH

Total nonfarm

2,826.42,360.92,446.42,485.3-341.1-12.1

Mining, logging, and construction

127.390.4106.4110.9-16.4-12.9

Manufacturing

189.9172.6175.4176.3-13.6-7.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

426.2341.1364.0373.6-52.6-12.3

Information

83.980.379.580.4-3.5-4.2

Financial activities

190.9183.3185.5186.0-4.9-2.6

Professional and business services

525.8482.0490.7494.0-31.8-6.0

Education and health services

582.3527.0525.0531.5-50.8-8.7

Leisure and hospitality

297.2120.4157.6184.2-113.0-38.0

Other services

108.865.670.976.8-32.0-29.4

Government

294.1298.2291.4271.6-22.5-7.7

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,796.44,203.24,344.84,400.4-396.0-8.3

Mining and logging

1.91.81.71.6-0.3-15.8

Construction

190.4171.0179.0181.8-8.6-4.5

Manufacturing

422.1389.1402.4400.6-21.5-5.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

949.5860.4893.2898.7-50.8-5.4

Information

78.575.675.775.4-3.1-3.9

Financial activities

322.9308.8311.2313.0-9.9-3.1

Professional and business services

848.0762.9778.7789.2-58.8-6.9

Education and health services

725.1681.6690.3692.1-33.0-4.6

Leisure and hospitality

517.8272.5329.1379.8-138.0-26.7

Other services

201.6162.8179.5180.2-21.4-10.6

Government

538.6516.7504.0488.0-50.6-9.4

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,780.63,542.73,642.03,629.1-151.5-4.0

Mining, logging, and construction

230.0223.9229.8230.00.00.0

Manufacturing

290.8278.4280.0280.2-10.6-3.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

792.5764.4782.8779.8-12.7-1.6

Information

82.180.080.179.3-2.8-3.4

Financial activities

320.8324.5328.5331.510.73.3

Professional and business services

645.6608.8626.4631.6-14.0-2.2

Education and health services

459.9426.7431.4427.6-32.3-7.0

Leisure and hospitality

403.6284.6334.0328.6-75.0-18.6

Other services

130.2115.4121.2118.8-11.4-8.8

Government

425.1436.0427.8421.7-3.4-0.8

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

3,146.62,931.92,980.42,958.2-188.4-6.0

Mining and logging

79.961.961.560.6-19.3-24.2

Construction

236.4220.2218.7217.3-19.1-8.1

Manufacturing

237.9222.4219.7216.1-21.8-9.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

626.0600.5607.6604.9-21.1-3.4

Information

32.929.529.629.4-3.5-10.6

Financial activities

167.6163.3164.5164.8-2.8-1.7

Professional and business services

509.4486.5500.8506.2-3.2-0.6

Education and health services

401.1389.7395.7397.4-3.7-0.9

Leisure and hospitality

340.1256.8285.0279.6-60.5-17.8

Other services

116.292.198.7100.8-15.4-13.3

Government

399.1409.0398.6381.1-18.0-4.5

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

6,186.05,366.85,579.35,558.0-628.0-10.2

Mining and logging

2.52.32.32.3-0.2-8.0

Construction

259.9244.5251.4249.1-10.8-4.2

Manufacturing

500.3443.6457.1458.5-41.8-8.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,105.9969.51,010.41,025.5-80.4-7.3

Information

229.4196.1200.2201.9-27.5-12.0

Financial activities

343.1330.1331.4337.3-5.8-1.7

Professional and business services

973.0864.5888.1897.2-75.8-7.8

Education and health services

1,061.9994.81,014.11,013.6-48.3-4.5

Leisure and hospitality

783.2436.8542.1540.7-242.5-31.0

Other services

211.5149.5160.2166.5-45.0-21.3

Government

715.3735.1722.0665.4-49.9-7.0

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,678.92,427.82,493.02,476.4-202.5-7.6

Mining and logging

0.70.80.80.80.114.3

Construction

142.8138.7142.0139.9-2.9-2.0

Manufacturing

91.483.284.585.6-5.8-6.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

609.4556.7573.8576.8-32.6-5.3

Information

50.547.848.047.0-3.5-6.9

Financial activities

189.1187.3189.2189.90.80.4

Professional and business services

451.7409.7420.2420.4-31.3-6.9

Education and health services

402.0379.8381.7376.1-25.9-6.4

Leisure and hospitality

326.3210.8254.9241.1-85.2-26.1

Other services

120.5101.7108.1110.6-9.9-8.2

Government

294.5311.3289.8288.2-6.3-2.1

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

Total nonfarm

9,980.68,181.08,508.18,625.9-1,354.7-13.6

Mining, logging, and construction

428.6308.6359.2377.6-51.0-11.9

Manufacturing

361.4311.5324.4325.8-35.6-9.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,722.41,379.91,461.71,522.4-200.0-11.6

Information

297.9273.3277.0278.6-19.3-6.5

Financial activities

802.2745.4746.8751.4-50.8-6.3

Professional and business services

1,630.41,402.21,426.11,445.4-185.0-11.3

Education and health services

2,003.61,809.91,839.81,852.7-150.9-7.5

Leisure and hospitality

1,002.4373.6475.4562.6-439.8-43.9

Other services

430.5298.0322.6359.3-71.2-16.5

Government

1,301.21,278.61,275.11,150.1-151.1-11.6

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

Total nonfarm

2,961.92,587.02,680.12,707.0-254.9-8.6

Mining, logging, and construction

123.9100.1106.4107.6-16.3-13.2

Manufacturing

185.3172.8176.8176.1-9.2-5.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

525.4459.7481.0486.0-39.4-7.5

Information

50.246.546.947.2-3.0-6.0

Financial activities

219.5210.6210.3212.1-7.4-3.4

Professional and business services

473.7437.1446.4448.3-25.4-5.4

Education and health services

650.4605.3618.4616.8-33.6-5.2

Leisure and hospitality

291.6135.2169.2194.4-97.2-33.3

Other services

124.685.395.5108.7-15.9-12.8

Government

317.3334.4329.2309.8-7.5-2.4

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,123.52,043.82,060.72,049.5-74.0-3.5

Mining and logging

3.63.73.63.60.00.0

Construction

136.2133.6133.4132.2-4.0-2.9

Manufacturing

134.0127.5130.5129.9-4.1-3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

403.4399.8407.7409.35.91.5

Information

40.637.437.838.1-2.5-6.2

Financial activities

202.9201.4203.4202.7-0.2-0.1

Professional and business services

368.2339.5341.9342.4-25.8-7.0

Education and health services

327.5324.9330.4331.84.31.3

Leisure and hospitality

224.8167.3189.4176.5-48.3-21.5

Other services

70.568.271.671.51.01.4

Government

211.8240.5211.0211.5-0.3-0.1

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,484.32,128.32,199.82,206.7-277.6-11.2

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

130.6108.5115.9114.9-15.7-12.0

Manufacturing

144.1122.7125.4126.6-17.5-12.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

372.5317.2328.5336.3-36.2-9.7

Information

130.5117.7119.9121.3-9.2-7.0

Financial activities

148.6144.0146.2146.6-2.0-1.3

Professional and business services

507.6474.5480.9483.2-24.4-4.8

Education and health services

360.8329.6333.7335.0-25.8-7.2

Leisure and hospitality

287.9144.7181.5186.6-101.3-35.2

Other services

90.564.568.571.4-19.1-21.1

Government

310.9304.6299.0284.5-26.4-8.5

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

Total nonfarm

3,371.83,038.13,119.23,127.0-244.8-7.3

Mining, logging, and construction

167.9157.5162.9165.8-2.1-1.3

Manufacturing

57.453.854.454.4-3.0-5.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

408.0363.0374.6381.2-26.8-6.6

Information

77.773.673.273.9-3.8-4.9

Financial activities

162.5159.3158.1157.7-4.8-3.0

Professional and business services

789.8755.3764.6768.7-21.1-2.7

Education and health services

442.7399.5408.0405.7-37.0-8.4

Leisure and hospitality

352.1185.5223.4246.3-105.8-30.0

Other services

213.8196.0203.5204.0-9.8-4.6

Government

699.9694.6696.5669.3-30.6-4.4

(p) preliminary

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 02, 2020