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The unemployment rates for metro Houston, Texas, and the nation declined in March, according to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Houston’s unemployment rate fell from 4.6 to 4.3 percent, Texas from 4.4 to 4.1 percent, and the U.S. rate from 4.2 to 3.9 percent.

There were 158,287 Houstonians unemployed and looking for work in March, down from 168,649 in February. TWC estimates Houston’s labor force at 3,682,507, up roughly 63,000 workers from a year ago.

Among cities in the metro area for which TWC publishes unemployment rates, College Station had the lowest rate in March and Baytown the highest.

Initial claims filed for unemployment benefits peaked in mid-June ’20, trended down through October ’21, and have remained flat since.

Continued claims filed by workers unemployed for a week or more inched up early in ’23, slipped going into the fall, and ticked up again in November and December. So far in ’24, they are tracking slightly above the same month last year. 

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research

Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Chief Economist 
Senior Vice President, Research
pjankowski@houston.org

Leta Wauson
Research Director
lwauson@houston.org