Total nonfarm employment for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, metropolitan area increased by 135,600 over the year in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See chart 1 and table 1.) Regional Commissioner Michael Hirniak noted that the local rate of job gain, 4.6 percent, compared to the 3.9-percent national increase. (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

Industry employment

In Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, professional and business services had the largest employment gain (+31,800) among local private-industry supersectors. (See chart 2.) Within the supersector, employment in the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector increased by 17,500, while employment in the professional, scientific and technical services sector rose by 14,800. The 6.6-percent rate of job increase in Houston’s professional and business services supersector compared to the 5.2-percent gain nationwide.

The leisure and hospitality supersector gained 30,800 jobs from October 2020 to October 2021. Within this supersector, the accommodation and food services sector accounted for most of the increase (+27,600). The 11.0-percent rise in the metropolitan area’s leisure and hospitality supersector compared to the 13.4-percent gain on a national level.

In the metropolitan area, education and health services saw a gain of 24,800 jobs over the year. The healthcare and social assistance sector saw an increase of 17,500 jobs, while the education services sector gained 7,300 jobs. The education and health services supersector’s 6.3-percent local rate of job growth compared to the 2.1-percent gain nationwide.

Trade, transportation, and utilities, the largest supersector in the metropolitan area, added 22,300 jobs over the year. The trade, transportation, and utilities supersector had a 3.6-percent gain in the metropolitan area, compared to the 3.2-percent increase for the nation.

The other services supersector (which includes repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, membership associations, and private households) gained 14,800 jobs in the metropolitan area since October 2020. The 14.2-percent local rate of job growth compared to the national gain of 5.1 percent.

Mining and logging added 7,200 jobs over the year in the Houston area. This supersector’s 11.2-percent local rate of job growth compared to the 9.9-percent national gain.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in October 2021. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, had the largest increase (+326,400), followed by New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+302,600). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, has the smallest gain (+88,800) among the largest areas. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Los Angeles had the largest rate of job gain at 5.8 percent. Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ, each had a 5.6-percent rate of job gain. The rates of job gains in the remaining nine areas ranged from 5.0 percent in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, to 3.1 percent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for November 2021 is scheduled to be released on December 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

Special technical note: This technical note describes the procedures regularly used on a monthly basis to develop estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the procedures described in this technical note have been modified. The modifications are briefly described in the box note of this news release. More information on the changes to the CES business birth-death model is available at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the 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 which 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 at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/ces-20110307.pdf.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which 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. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Measures of sampling error for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.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 at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/bmrk_article.htm.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018.

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

Employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments 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. 2020	Aug. 2021	Sep. 2021	Oct. 2021(p)	Oct. 2020 to Oct. 2021(p)
					Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm	143,568	147,012	147,659	149,217	5,649	3.9
Mining and logging	597	646	649	656	59	9.9
Construction	7,506	7,644	7,627	7,669	163	2.2
Manufacturing	12,158	12,492	12,470	12,536	378	3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	26,889	27,329	27,419	27,761	872	3.2
Information	2,654	2,784	2,772	2,787	133	5.0
Financial activities	8,751	8,901	8,857	8,898	147	1.7
Professional and business services	20,505	21,182	21,205	21,566	1,061	5.2
Education and health services	23,427	23,356	23,583	23,929	502	2.1
Leisure and hospitality	13,607	15,826	15,405	15,433	1,826	13.4
Other services	5,487	5,783	5,722	5,766	279	5.1
Government	21,987	21,069	21,950	22,216	229	1.0
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	2,964.2	3,049.1	3,066.7	3,099.8	135.6	4.6
Mining and logging	64.5	69.6	71.0	71.7	7.2	11.2
Construction	207.1	204.3	203.7	206.8	-0.3	-0.1
Manufacturing	209.6	210.9	211.0	211.5	1.9	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	615.8	631.1	630.5	638.1	22.3	3.6
Information	28.2	29.0	28.9	28.9	0.7	2.5
Financial activities	165.2	164.2	165.5	164.8	-0.4	-0.2
Professional and business services	483.4	504.4	511.7	515.2	31.8	6.6
Education and health services	394.5	407.9	407.5	419.3	24.8	6.3
Leisure and hospitality	279.7	322.9	312.6	310.5	30.8	11.0
Other services	104.1	115.9	117.6	118.9	14.8	14.2
Government	412.1	388.9	406.7	414.1	2.0	0.5
(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. 2020	Aug. 2021	Sep. 2021	Oct. 2021(p)	Oct. 2020 to Oct. 2021(p)
					Net change	Percent change
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,705.1	2,793.0	2,799.2	2,839.9	134.8	5.0
Mining and logging	1.6	1.6	1.6	1.7	0.1	6.3
Construction	126.6	129.6	129.7	131.0	4.4	3.5
Manufacturing	163.4	166.8	168.8	171.0	7.6	4.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	583.7	591.5	598.1	605.9	22.2	3.8
Information	98.3	101.7	103.6	106.9	8.6	8.7
Financial activities	180.3	183.3	181.5	182.1	1.8	1.0
Professional and business services	528.5	562.8	561.5	572.4	43.9	8.3
Education and health services	358.4	369.5	367.0	377.8	19.4	5.4
Leisure and hospitality	239.9	263.7	260.5	261.5	21.6	9.0
Other services	93.5	96.1	95.0	95.6	2.1	2.2
Government	330.9	326.4	331.9	334.0	3.1	0.9
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,576.7	2,681.2	2,679.9	2,720.1	143.4	5.6
Mining, logging, and construction	121.0	130.5	129.0	129.6	8.6	7.1
Manufacturing	175.7	184.0	183.2	185.4	9.7	5.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	392.9	403.3	400.4	406.4	13.5	3.4
Information	77.1	82.4	82.3	83.0	5.9	7.7
Financial activities	179.5	182.3	181.9	181.1	1.6	0.9
Professional and business services	500.8	531.8	525.1	536.1	35.3	7.0
Education and health services	551.8	555.1	559.1	570.9	19.1	3.5
Leisure and hospitality	191.3	247.5	229.2	232.7	41.4	21.6
Other services	85.0	93.1	89.2	89.4	4.4	5.2
Government	301.6	271.2	300.5	305.5	3.9	1.3
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,423.1	4,496.3	4,501.9	4,560.0	136.9	3.1
Mining and logging	1.7	1.8	1.8	1.8	0.1	5.9
Construction	178.0	180.6	179.3	179.9	1.9	1.1
Manufacturing	394.8	399.7	398.0	397.5	2.7	0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	915.1	927.7	930.1	947.5	32.4	3.5
Information	71.4	70.3	70.5	71.1	-0.3	-0.4
Financial activities	316.3	317.2	313.7	318.4	2.1	0.7
Professional and business services	787.7	806.9	803.3	825.0	37.3	4.7
Education and health services	699.9	692.2	700.7	709.8	9.9	1.4
Leisure and hospitality	357.6	409.5	395.7	398.6	41.0	11.5
Other services	176.1	182.3	181.3	184.3	8.2	4.7
Government	524.5	508.1	527.5	526.1	1.6	0.3
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,700.0	3,810.6	3,831.8	3,876.3	176.3	4.8
Mining, logging, and construction	221.7	219.6	221.5	218.3	-3.4	-1.5
Manufacturing	279.8	285.6	286.1	285.8	6.0	2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	813.1	829.1	831.5	852.7	39.6	4.9
Information	78.0	79.0	79.1	78.7	0.7	0.9
Financial activities	328.0	331.4	330.6	332.5	4.5	1.4
Professional and business services	630.0	683.2	687.2	702.8	72.8	11.6
Education and health services	449.9	453.0	452.1	459.7	9.8	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	331.5	369.9	367.8	364.6	33.1	10.0
Other services	112.2	122.3	121.3	124.0	11.8	10.5
Government	455.8	437.5	454.6	457.2	1.4	0.3
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	2,964.2	3,049.1	3,066.7	3,099.8	135.6	4.6
Mining and logging	64.5	69.6	71.0	71.7	7.2	11.2
Construction	207.1	204.3	203.7	206.8	-0.3	-0.1
Manufacturing	209.6	210.9	211.0	211.5	1.9	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	615.8	631.1	630.5	638.1	22.3	3.6
Information	28.2	29.0	28.9	28.9	0.7	2.5
Financial activities	165.2	164.2	165.5	164.8	-0.4	-0.2
Professional and business services	483.4	504.4	511.7	515.2	31.8	6.6
Education and health services	394.5	407.9	407.5	419.3	24.8	6.3
Leisure and hospitality	279.7	322.9	312.6	310.5	30.8	11.0
Other services	104.1	115.9	117.6	118.9	14.8	14.2
Government	412.1	388.9	406.7	414.1	2.0	0.5
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	5,605.7	5,834.6	5,870.9	5,932.1	326.4	5.8
Mining and logging	1.9	1.9	1.9	1.9	0.0	0.0
Construction	252.2	249.3	251.0	253.0	0.8	0.3
Manufacturing	454.7	456.9	459.7	461.3	6.6	1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,033.3	1,061.2	1,061.2	1,073.4	40.1	3.9
Information	201.3	212.8	213.3	215.4	14.1	7.0
Financial activities	323.3	323.5	321.5	322.4	-0.9	-0.3
Professional and business services	895.6	931.5	931.4	944.8	49.2	5.5
Education and health services	1,049.1	1,064.6	1,071.0	1,081.8	32.7	3.1
Leisure and hospitality	524.4	662.4	667.1	669.8	145.4	27.7
Other services	161.9	179.7	177.6	180.9	19.0	11.7
Government	708.0	690.8	715.2	727.4	19.4	2.7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,528.8	2,610.1	2,613.3	2,656.1	127.3	5.0
Mining and logging	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.8	0.0	0.0
Construction	139.1	139.5	142.3	143.9	4.8	3.5
Manufacturing	87.1	86.9	88.3	88.8	1.7	2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	575.6	587.6	588.9	599.0	23.4	4.1
Information	46.2	47.1	47.0	47.4	1.2	2.6
Financial activities	187.8	192.9	191.5	193.7	5.9	3.1
Professional and business services	439.7	456.8	457.7	468.0	28.3	6.4
Education and health services	396.6	400.6	399.9	406.7	10.1	2.5
Leisure and hospitality	245.6	285.3	283.8	290.8	45.2	18.4
Other services	104.1	111.7	111.4	112.9	8.8	8.5
Government	306.2	300.9	301.7	304.1	-2.1	-0.7
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	8,991.5	9,157.0	9,162.0	9,294.1	302.6	3.4
Mining, logging, and construction	393.0	377.1	376.6	379.7	-13.3	-3.4
Manufacturing	327.9	336.5	337.7	337.8	9.9	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,556.1	1,558.0	1,571.1	1,593.0	36.9	2.4
Information	288.1	302.4	301.3	304.9	16.8	5.8
Financial activities	759.3	755.8	747.5	749.7	-9.6	-1.3
Professional and business services	1,466.9	1,515.9	1,515.3	1,550.2	83.3	5.7
Education and health services	1,941.1	1,933.7	1,961.0	2,005.4	64.3	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	606.7	749.9	721.0	717.9	111.2	18.3
Other services	346.8	360.1	352.7	357.8	11.0	3.2
Government	1,305.6	1,267.6	1,277.8	1,297.7	-7.9	-0.6
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,793.7	2,829.0	2,852.2	2,882.5	88.8	3.2
Mining, logging, and construction	117.8	122.0	122.7	123.9	6.1	5.2
Manufacturing	174.1	175.6	176.0	176.8	2.7	1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	508.0	515.5	518.8	528.3	20.3	4.0
Information	50.3	52.8	53.0	52.4	2.1	4.2
Financial activities	214.6	218.6	216.7	216.6	2.0	0.9
Professional and business services	452.5	466.0	461.1	467.4	14.9	3.3
Education and health services	640.9	632.3	646.1	655.1	14.2	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	200.9	233.2	224.6	224.0	23.1	11.5
Other services	103.2	106.9	105.6	107.0	3.8	3.7
Government	331.4	306.1	327.6	331.0	-0.4	-0.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	2,138.7	2,215.2	2,236.9	2,259.3	120.6	5.6
Mining and logging	2.8	2.8	2.8	2.8	0.0	0.0
Construction	135.7	135.5	138.5	138.7	3.0	2.2
Manufacturing	131.9	137.1	136.2	136.8	4.9	3.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities	421.9	440.6	443.5	450.6	28.7	6.8
Information	37.0	35.8	35.8	36.8	-0.2	-0.5
Financial activities	206.2	207.2	207.3	208.1	1.9	0.9
Professional and business services	360.0	379.8	379.1	385.9	25.9	7.2
Education and health services	342.6	356.2	360.1	360.4	17.8	5.2
Leisure and hospitality	189.8	214.1	218.7	223.3	33.5	17.7
Other services	66.2	69.4	69.9	69.7	3.5	5.3
Government	244.6	236.7	245.0	246.2	1.6	0.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,237.7	2,306.7	2,315.9	2,343.4	105.7	4.7
Mining and logging	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.0	0.0
Construction	123.2	124.6	125.3	125.8	2.6	2.1
Manufacturing	140.2	141.4	140.9	140.1	-0.1	-0.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	334.1	333.8	332.5	337.8	3.7	1.1
Information	133.5	139.7	139.1	139.9	6.4	4.8
Financial activities	139.7	140.8	139.9	140.8	1.1	0.8
Professional and business services	478.5	506.0	509.7	518.6	40.1	8.4
Education and health services	349.5	354.8	356.3	360.9	11.4	3.3
Leisure and hospitality	164.5	207.1	209.1	209.8	45.3	27.5
Other services	68.1	74.0	71.7	72.3	4.2	6.2
Government	306.1	284.2	291.1	297.1	-9.0	-2.9
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,158.1	3,221.2	3,238.3	3,282.7	124.6	3.9
Mining, logging, and construction	162.9	162.4	162.3	163.9	1.0	0.6
Manufacturing	54.2	56.0	55.6	56.3	2.1	3.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	385.7	391.0	390.9	396.8	11.1	2.9
Information	74.2	72.7	72.5	73.1	-1.1	-1.5
Financial activities	154.6	154.6	154.5	153.7	-0.9	-0.6
Professional and business services	771.6	788.1	787.1	804.4	32.8	4.3
Education and health services	420.8	429.9	435.5	440.1	19.3	4.6
Leisure and hospitality	235.7	278.3	274.5	281.7	46.0	19.5
Other services	190.1	195.7	193.8	193.4	3.3	1.7
Government	708.3	692.5	711.6	719.3	11.0	1.6
(p) preliminary