Overall unemployment rate moved down to 7.1% with the biggest shift in Restaurants & Hotels, which gained 11,800 roles, based on the most recently available information published in June 2021.

Total employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX market rose by 30,982 jobs in April and the unemployment rate decreased compared to the prior month by 90 bps to 7.1%. The national unemployment rate decreased by 43 bps over the same time to 5.7%.

  • Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX unemployment rate is 135 bps above the national rate which is a negative sign.
  • Unemployment in the market is 690 bps below the unemployment rate in the market last year at this time, which is a positive.
  • Average wages (per hour) grew in April versus prior month by 2.2% and are up compared to last year at this time in the market.
Month over Month Unemployment Change
Year over Year Unemployment Change
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Unemployment April 2021

For key employment segments of the market, total jobs grew by 0.6% . Key sectors include:

  • Transportation & Utilities: 622,400; -1,900
  • Business Services: 492,200; +6,900
  • Government: 416,800; +600
  • Education & Healthcare: 397,400; +700
  • Restaurants & Hotels: 304,200; +11,800
  • Construction, Mining: 277,700; +100
  • Manufacturing: 207,400; -1,100
  • Financial Services: 162,600; -800
  • Other Jobs: 109,700; +2,500
  • IT & Development: 28,500; -100
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Unemployment by Industry April 2021

Data is based on the most recent 12 months available, through April 2021 (Data published June 2021 and reports created on June 2, 2021).  Source: Government data agency and locally acquired statistics.

Note: All reported data is not seasonally adjusted.