Total nonfarm employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,202,100 in October 2019, up 80,400 or 2.6 percent, from one year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased 1.4 percent. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted October 2019 marked the 24th consecutive month that Houston’s annual rate of job growth has exceeded the national rate. Among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Houston tied with Dallas and Phoenix for the second-highest annual rate of job growth. (See chart 1 and table 1; 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, professional and business services added the largest number of jobs from October 2018 to October 2019, up 31,000. Job gains were widespread within the sector, including the architectural, engineering, and related services industry, which added 6,500 jobs, a 9.1-percent increase over the year. Houston’s professional and business services supersector employment rose 6.2 percent since October 2018, compared to the national increase of 1.9 percent. (See table 1 and chart 2.)

Houston’s education and health services supersector added 10,100 jobs from October a year ago, the second-largest job gain among the local supersectors. The health care and social assistance subsector added 8,400 jobs and educational services added 1,700 jobs. The education and health services supersector had a 2.5-percent rate of job growth in Houston, compared to 2.7 percent nationwide.

Houston manufacturing added 9,100 jobs from October 2018 to October 2019. Local job growth was concentrated in durable goods manufacturing (+7,500), although petroleum and coal products manufacturing recorded a 17.0-percent annual rate of job growth, adding 1,700 jobs over the year. The 3.9-percent increase in Houston’s manufacturing employment compared to a gain of 0.4 percent nationally. October 2019 marked the 27^th consecutive month of annual job growth for the local manufacturing sector following 28 consecutive months of annual declines.

Employment in the other services supersector (which includes repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, membership associations, and private households) added 7,200 jobs since October 2018. The 6.3-percent local rate of job growth compared to the national rate of 1.3 percent.

The mining and logging supersector in Houston added 6,000 jobs from October a year ago. The latest 7.4-percent annual rate of job growth was the highest among all the local supersectors, but still marked a slowdown from the double-digit annual pace recorded during the summer. Nationally, the mining and logging supersector had a 0.5-percent rate of job loss from October 2018 to October 2019.

Four local supersectors added between 4,200 and 3,600 jobs over the year. Houston construction added 4,200 jobs since October 2018. Strong growth in specialty trade contractors and heavy and civil engineering construction was partially offset by a sharp loss in the construction of buildings sector. Area employment in the construction supersector rose 1.8 percent, compared to the 1.9-percent gain for the nation. Employment in Houston’s largest sector–trade, transportation, and utilities–rose by 4,000 jobs over the year. The local rate of gain, 0.6 percent, compared to the national increase of 0.5 percent. The leisure and hospitality supersector gained 3,900 jobs since October 2018. The local annual growth rate was 1.2 percent while the U.S. rate was 2.3 percent. Financial activities added 3,600 jobs over the year in Houston. The local rate of job growth was 2.2 percent, while the national rate was 1.3 percent.

The only local supersector to record an employment loss from October 2018 to October 2019 was information (-1,300). Employment fell 4.2 percent over the year in the Houston area, while nationally it declined 0.3 percent.

Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in October 2019. All 12 areas had over-the-year job growth during the period, with the rates of job growth in 8 areas exceeding the national increase of 1.4 percent. San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward had the fastest rate of job growth, 2.7 percent, followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Houston, and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale (+2.6 percent each). Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (+0.7 percent), New York-Newark-Jersey City (+0.9 percent), and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (+1.0 percent) had the slowest rates of job growth. (See chart 3 and table 2.)

Dallas added the largest number of jobs over the year, 98,700, followed by New York (+84,600), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (+80,700), and Houston (+80,400). Philadelphia had the smallest employment gain over the year (+28,600), followed by Chicago (+35,800), and Boston-Cambridge-Nashua (+40,900). Annual job gains in the remaining five metropolitan areas ranged from 66,800 in San Francisco to 49,000 in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in six areas: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Philadelphia. Professional and business services added the most jobs in three other areas: Houston, San Francisco, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria.

Information lost the most jobs in three areas: Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles. Trade, transportation, and utilities lost the most jobs in three other areas: Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington. Dallas was the only area to have no job losses in any of its supersectors from October 2018 to October 2019.

Metropolitan area employment data for November 2019 are scheduled to be released on Friday, December 20, 2019, 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 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 Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller 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. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the Current Employment Statistics program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the Internet at www.bls.gov/sae/.

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 Industry	Oct. 2018	Aug. 2019	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019(p)	Oct. 2018 to Oct. 2019(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	150,853	151,607	152,015	152,962	2,109	1.4
Mining and logging	759	760	754	755	-4	-0.5
Construction	7,559	7,758	7,698	7,705	146	1.9
Manufacturing	12,774	12,934	12,880	12,820	46	0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	27,764	27,750	27,698	27,897	133	0.5
Information	2,839	2,849	2,822	2,831	-8	-0.3
Financial activities	8,618	8,761	8,708	8,732	114	1.3
Professional and business services	21,397	21,668	21,637	21,812	415	1.9
Education and health services	24,018	24,067	24,343	24,662	644	2.7
Leisure and hospitality	16,402	17,416	16,909	16,781	379	2.3
Other services	5,871	5,992	5,936	5,946	75	1.3
Government	22,852	21,652	22,630	23,021	169	0.7
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	3,121.7	3,165.6	3,173.9	3,202.1	80.4	2.6
Mining and logging	81.4	87.7	87.4	87.4	6.0	7.4
Construction	227.1	227.1	232.2	231.3	4.2	1.8
Manufacturing	231.9	242.8	241.4	241.0	9.1	3.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	628.7	631.4	626.5	632.7	4.0	0.6
Information	31.3	29.9	29.7	30.0	-1.3	-4.2
Financial activities	165.2	168.8	168.0	168.8	3.6	2.2
Professional and business services	498.5	521.5	521.0	529.5	31.0	6.2
Education and health services	397.8	404.1	404.6	407.9	10.1	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	327.6	336.5	329.1	331.5	3.9	1.2
Other services	113.8	121.6	120.3	121.0	7.2	6.3
Government	418.4	394.2	413.7	421.0	2.6	0.6
(p) preliminary

Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	Oct. 2018	Aug. 2019	Sep. 2019	Oct. 2019(p)	Oct. 2018 to Oct. 2019(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,815.7	2,849.7	2,851.9	2,874.9	59.2	2.1
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	128.7	133.6	133.6	133.8	5.1	4.0
Manufacturing	172.9	175.3	175.7	175.3	2.4	1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	603.6	604.3	606.7	612.0	8.4	1.4
Information	99.6	98.9	97.9	100.1	0.5	0.5
Financial activities	175.4	176.9	176.1	176.3	0.9	0.5
Professional and business services	536.1	538.9	539.3	545.5	9.4	1.8
Education and health services	359.9	365.7	369.1	372.9	13.0	3.6
Leisure and hospitality	300.4	317.0	311.9	315.1	14.7	4.9
Other services	99.8	99.2	98.4	98.5	-1.3	-1.3
Government	337.7	338.3	341.6	343.8	6.1	1.8
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,793.9	2,810.5	2,809.4	2,834.8	40.9	1.5
Mining, logging, and construction	121.6	123.0	121.9	123.1	1.5	1.2
Manufacturing	188.9	188.8	187.2	188.1	-0.8	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	425.1	422.1	420.0	423.3	-1.8	-0.4
Information	80.7	85.3	83.5	83.4	2.7	3.3
Financial activities	183.5	187.9	185.1	184.7	1.2	0.7
Professional and business services	506.3	519.1	514.5	519.0	12.7	2.5
Education and health services	590.3	588.7	595.7	609.7	19.4	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	275.7	296.6	281.8	279.0	3.3	1.2
Other services	103.0	108.4	103.7	104.5	1.5	1.5
Government	318.8	290.6	316.0	320.0	1.2	0.4
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,806.1	4,832.4	4,821.1	4,841.9	35.8	0.7
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.7	0.1	6.3
Construction	191.1	191.2	189.1	189.4	-1.7	-0.9
Manufacturing	423.9	428.3	426.0	425.8	1.9	0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	957.0	959.9	955.1	962.2	5.2	0.5
Information	77.4	74.0	73.5	74.4	-3.0	-3.9
Financial activities	313.4	316.9	313.9	315.9	2.5	0.8
Professional and business services	859.4	859.3	857.9	862.3	2.9	0.3
Education and health services	743.0	740.9	745.4	757.4	14.4	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	491.1	522.0	505.5	503.8	12.7	2.6
Other services	198.2	201.0	198.7	198.7	0.5	0.3
Government	550.0	537.3	554.4	550.3	0.3	0.1
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,729.9	3,811.2	3,810.3	3,828.6	98.7	2.6
Mining, logging, and construction	223.2	238.5	237.8	240.3	17.1	7.7
Manufacturing	281.6	287.8	288.2	283.6	2.0	0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	792.6	800.2	796.6	805.2	12.6	1.6
Information	81.9	82.1	81.2	81.9	0.0	0.0
Financial activities	304.7	318.0	319.5	319.1	14.4	4.7
Professional and business services	631.6	655.1	648.6	645.5	13.9	2.2
Education and health services	455.7	466.0	466.1	469.0	13.3	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	387.9	407.6	402.5	403.4	15.5	4.0
Other services	125.1	129.7	128.0	128.7	3.6	2.9
Government	445.6	426.2	441.8	451.9	6.3	1.4
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	3,121.7	3,165.6	3,173.9	3,202.1	80.4	2.6
Mining and logging	81.4	87.7	87.4	87.4	6.0	7.4
Construction	227.1	227.1	232.2	231.3	4.2	1.8
Manufacturing	231.9	242.8	241.4	241.0	9.1	3.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	628.7	631.4	626.5	632.7	4.0	0.6
Information	31.3	29.9	29.7	30.0	-1.3	-4.2
Financial activities	165.2	168.8	168.0	168.8	3.6	2.2
Professional and business services	498.5	521.5	521.0	529.5	31.0	6.2
Education and health services	397.8	404.1	404.6	407.9	10.1	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	327.6	336.5	329.1	331.5	3.9	1.2
Other services	113.8	121.6	120.3	121.0	7.2	6.3
Government	418.4	394.2	413.7	421.0	2.6	0.6
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	6,217.4	6,201.2	6,249.5	6,298.1	80.7	1.3
Mining and logging	2.4	2.4	2.4	2.4	0.0	0.0
Construction	258.9	271.5	271.2	272.7	13.8	5.3
Manufacturing	500.0	505.5	505.0	504.0	4.0	0.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,116.2	1,108.4	1,111.0	1,119.4	3.2	0.3
Information	251.7	244.3	242.2	240.3	-11.4	-4.5
Financial activities	340.6	343.5	341.4	344.8	4.2	1.2
Professional and business services	952.6	960.3	962.4	964.2	11.6	1.2
Education and health services	1,060.8	1,070.1	1,085.7	1,096.3	35.5	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	761.3	784.4	776.8	781.1	19.8	2.6
Other services	213.0	212.8	211.5	212.3	-0.7	-0.3
Government	759.9	698.0	739.9	760.6	0.7	0.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,705.6	2,728.1	2,730.9	2,754.6	49.0	1.8
Mining and logging	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.7	0.0	0.0
Construction	141.3	143.3	144.8	144.6	3.3	2.3
Manufacturing	91.5	91.8	90.0	89.8	-1.7	-1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	610.1	607.0	606.3	614.9	4.8	0.8
Information	51.1	50.1	49.9	50.3	-0.8	-1.6
Financial activities	185.8	187.5	187.4	189.0	3.2	1.7
Professional and business services	453.6	461.7	463.0	465.0	11.4	2.5
Education and health services	407.5	417.3	419.1	423.2	15.7	3.9
Leisure and hospitality	324.2	327.9	326.6	330.7	6.5	2.0
Other services	123.7	126.6	125.5	126.2	2.5	2.0
Government	316.1	314.2	317.6	320.2	4.1	1.3
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,923.1	9,935.3	9,919.3	10,007.7	84.6	0.9
Mining, logging, and construction	418.5	436.7	431.5	427.9	9.4	2.2
Manufacturing	362.3	363.3	361.9	360.4	-1.9	-0.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,746.1	1,722.8	1,732.6	1,744.6	-1.5	-0.1
Information	294.7	296.7	294.7	291.8	-2.9	-1.0
Financial activities	780.6	782.5	768.7	769.6	-11.0	-1.4
Professional and business services	1,588.8	1,593.2	1,587.1	1,603.9	15.1	1.0
Education and health services	2,027.7	1,992.8	2,032.5	2,080.6	52.9	2.6
Leisure and hospitality	936.2	1,018.5	970.1	951.5	15.3	1.6
Other services	428.6	435.0	428.5	433.5	4.9	1.1
Government	1,339.6	1,293.8	1,311.7	1,343.9	4.3	0.3
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,975.4	2,955.1	2,985.6	3,004.0	28.6	1.0
Mining, logging, and construction	121.5	128.2	126.9	127.6	6.1	5.0
Manufacturing	182.1	182.9	181.7	181.8	-0.3	-0.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities	525.9	514.4	520.1	525.1	-0.8	-0.2
Information	48.7	48.9	48.3	48.4	-0.3	-0.6
Financial activities	216.1	218.9	219.2	220.3	4.2	1.9
Professional and business services	474.8	477.7	477.9	478.6	3.8	0.8
Education and health services	668.8	651.1	667.8	676.2	7.4	1.1
Leisure and hospitality	272.7	291.2	281.1	278.4	5.7	2.1
Other services	121.7	123.5	123.3	123.6	1.9	1.6
Government	343.1	318.3	339.3	344.0	0.9	0.3
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,145.1	2,158.3	2,176.4	2,201.6	56.5	2.6
Mining and logging	3.7	3.7	3.5	3.5	-0.2	-5.4
Construction	128.5	137.1	138.4	138.3	9.8	7.6
Manufacturing	129.2	136.4	136.8	136.9	7.7	6.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	407.3	410.7	412.1	419.8	12.5	3.1
Information	38.5	37.7	37.8	38.5	0.0	0.0
Financial activities	194.5	194.8	195.5	197.3	2.8	1.4
Professional and business services	361.4	359.7	362.9	367.9	6.5	1.8
Education and health services	333.0	338.7	341.9	345.1	12.1	3.6
Leisure and hospitality	230.4	229.2	230.0	235.0	4.6	2.0
Other services	70.7	70.9	71.9	72.8	2.1	3.0
Government	247.9	239.4	245.6	246.5	-1.4	-0.6
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,461.0	2,510.8	2,511.2	2,527.8	66.8	2.7
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	128.1	137.9	136.3	135.5	7.4	5.8
Manufacturing	144.6	144.2	144.3	144.1	-0.5	-0.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	376.9	379.5	378.8	380.9	4.0	1.1
Information	117.6	124.4	122.7	122.9	5.3	4.5
Financial activities	141.9	147.0	146.5	147.6	5.7	4.0
Professional and business services	504.2	523.6	519.5	524.1	19.9	3.9
Education and health services	359.0	364.3	369.6	373.3	14.3	4.0
Leisure and hospitality	273.8	285.9	284.0	284.2	10.4	3.8
Other services	89.0	86.7	85.4	85.7	-3.3	-3.7
Government	325.6	317.0	323.8	329.2	3.6	1.1
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,313.2	3,339.5	3,338.7	3,365.5	52.3	1.6
Mining, logging, and construction	162.9	167.2	165.6	165.6	2.7	1.7
Manufacturing	55.2	55.8	55.0	55.8	0.6	1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	405.2	402.3	399.8	402.1	-3.1	-0.8
Information	74.2	73.4	72.9	74.6	0.4	0.5
Financial activities	157.9	158.1	157.1	158.4	0.5	0.3
Professional and business services	764.7	782.2	774.2	785.9	21.2	2.8
Education and health services	445.5	447.2	451.3	455.4	9.9	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	334.9	361.3	353.7	352.1	17.2	5.1
Other services	208.6	212.1	208.5	209.5	0.9	0.4
Government	704.1	679.9	700.6	706.1	2.0	0.3
(p) preliminary