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Houston’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.8 percent in July, according to data recently released by the Texas Workforce Commission. Houston’s rate peaked at 14.0 percent in April ’20 and has been trending down since. The July rate reflects substantial improvement from this time last year though it remains slightly above those for the state and the nation.

The local labor force has recouped all the losses of the pandemic. There are more Houstonians employed or actively seeking work than prior to the pandemic. The growth has occurred despite early retirements, parents opting to stay home and care for children, and workers simply choosing to opt-out of the workforce.

Note: Workforce estimates come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is based on a survey of households. Payroll data was released on Friday, August 19, and comes from the Current Employment Series (CES), which is based on a survey of employers. The two surveys tend to align on the direction of job growth but often disagree on the magnitude. 

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research

Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Research
713-844-3616
pjankowski@houston.org

Clara Richardson
Research Associate
713-844-3653
crichardson@houston.org