For Release: Thursday, July 30, 2015
SOUTHWEST INFORMATION OFFICE: Dallas, Texas
Technical information: (972) 850-4800 [email protected]
Media contact:
(972) 850-4800
15-1300-DAL
www.bls.gov/regions/southwest
Houston Area Employment — June 2015
Total nonfarm employment in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metropolitan Statistical Area stood
at 2,987,000 in June 2015, up 55,700, or 1.9 percent, from one year earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased 2.1 percent. Regional
Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that the Houston metropolitan area has had over-the-year
employment increases in each month since July 2010. However, the local annual rate of gain has slowed in
2015, falling below the national rate in May 2015.(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
Leisure and hospitality registered the largest annual job gain among Houston’s supersectors, adding 18,800
jobs since June 2014. The local rate of job growth, 6.4 percent, was more than double the national rate of
2.9 percent. Local growth was concentrated within food services and drinking places, which added 15,300
jobs during the period, a 6.5-percent increase. (See table 1 and chart 2.)
The education and health services supersector added 14,300 jobs, a 4.1-percent rise from June 2014;
nationally, employment for this industry was up 2.7 percent. Local job gains for this major sector were
broad-based, but strongest in ambulatory health care services and hospitals.
Trade, transportation, and utilities–the area’s largest supersector–registered an annual job increase of
12,600, up 2.1 percent from June 2014 to June 2015. The growth was led by a gain of 9,500 jobs in the
retail trade industry, an increase of 3.2 percent. The area’s transportation and utilities industry added 1,700
jobs during the period while wholesale trade added 1,400 jobs. The trade, transportation, and utilities
supersector expanded 2.0 percent nationally.
The professional and business services supersector gained 10,900 jobs from June 2014, a 2.3-percent rise.
Nationwide, this industry registered a 3.5-percent increase from June a year ago.
Government employment expanded by 5,500 jobs over the year, with the local government jurisdiction
accounting for nearly all of the increase, up 4,900. Employment gains in local government were led by
educational services, which added 4,300 jobs, or 2.3 percent. Locally, total government employment
increased 1.5 percent compared to a 0.2-percent gain nationally.
The construction supersector in the Houston area gained 2,400 jobs over the year, reflecting growth in
specialty trade contractors and construction of buildings. The total construction sector rose 1.2 percent
locally and 4.2 percent nationally.
Two local supersectors experienced annual losses of more than 1,000 jobs from June 2014–manufacturing
(-8,300) and financial activities (-1,400). The Houston manufacturing job decline reflected a 5.3-percent
loss in durable goods manufacturing and a 1.2-percent gain in non-durable goods manufacturing. Local
manufacturing employment fell 3.3 percent compared to a national increase of 1.3 percent. Employment in
Houston’s financial activities supersector also declined over the year, down 0.9 percent, compared to the
nationwide gain of 2.0 percent.
2
Employment in the 12 largest metropolitan areas
Houston was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in June 2015. All of these areas
experienced over-the-year job growth during the period, with seven exceeding the national average of 2.1
percent. The fastest rate of job growth was registered in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, up 3.6 percent,
followed by Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell (3.1 percent), and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (3.0 percent each). The slowest rates of job growth were in
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (1.1 percent) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (1.3 percent).(See chart 3
and table 2.)
New York-Newark-Jersey City added the largest number of jobs, 168,900, since June 2014. Two other
metropolitan areas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and Dallas, gained more than 100,000 jobs over the
year. Philadelphia and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale added the fewest number of jobs.
Professional and business services led employment growth in 7 of the 12 metropolitan areas from a year ago
—Atlanta, Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington-ArlingtonAlexandria. Education and health services recorded the largest gains in four areas—Los Angeles, New York,
Philadelphia, and Phoenix.
Over the year, manufacturing recorded the largest job losses in Chicago, Houston, New York, and Phoenix.
Boston was the only area that recorded no job losses in any supersector from June 2014 to June 2015.
Metropolitan area employment data for July 2015 are scheduled to be released on Friday, August 21,
2015, 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.
3
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 2007 version of the North
American Industry Classification System.
Method of estimation. The employment data are estimated using a "link relative" technique in which a
ratio (link relative) of current-month employment to that of the previous month is computed from a sample
of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are
obtained by multiplying the estimates for the previous month by these ratios. Small-domain models are used
as the official estimators for the approximately 39 percent of CES published series which have insufficient
sample for direct sample-based estimates.
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 are available for state CES data at the total nonfarm
and supersector level and for metropolitan area CES data. Information on recent benchmark revisions for
states is available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/sae/.
Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S.
Office of Management and Budget on February 28, 2013. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is
available online at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland 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.
4
Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, U.S. and Houston metropolitan area, not
seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry
U.S.
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Jun.
2014
Apr.
2015
May
2015
Jun.
2015(p)
Change from Jun.
2014 to Jun. 2015
Number
Percent
139,891
900
6,310
12,255
26,407
2,738
8,020
19,207
21,254
15,343
5,635
21,822
141,437
852
6,254
12,270
26,571
2,787
8,057
19,596
22,096
14,982
5,629
22,343
142,362
839
6,439
12,314
26,791
2,791
8,093
19,694
22,049
15,387
5,669
22,296
142,817
844
6,572
12,415
26,940
2,798
8,181
19,878
21,831
15,781
5,719
21,858
2,926
-56
262
160
533
60
161
671
577
438
84
36
2.1
-6.2
4.2
1.3
2.0
2.2
2.0
3.5
2.7
2.9
1.5
0.2
2,931.3
109.2
202.8
255.3
594.9
33.3
148.1
466.8
347.4
294.1
105.5
373.9
2,971.6
110.5
206.4
252.1
602.8
34.3
146.6
464.3
362.4
301.2
103.9
387.1
2,982.7
108.1
204.4
249.0
608.3
33.8
146.0
471.2
363.2
307.6
104.5
386.6
2,987.0
108.9
205.2
247.0
607.5
33.9
146.7
477.7
361.7
312.9
106.1
379.4
55.7
-0.3
2.4
-8.3
12.6
0.6
-1.4
10.9
14.3
18.8
0.6
5.5
1.9
-0.3
1.2
-3.3
2.1
1.8
-0.9
2.3
4.1
6.4
0.6
1.5
(p) preliminary
5
Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not
seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining, logging, and construction.............
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining, logging, and construction.............
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Jun.
2014
Apr.
2015
May
2015
Jun.
2015(p)
Change from
Jun. 2014 to Jun. 2015
Number
Percent
2,502.0
1.4
101.4
152.8
551.3
89.4
159.6
462.9
303.3
265.2
95.4
319.3
2,567.2
1.3
104.5
154.1
568.0
88.3
164.8
473.1
316.7
271.5
94.8
330.1
2,582.8
1.3
105.7
153.9
569.2
88.4
164.8
481.0
316.5
279.9
94.4
327.7
2,579.3
1.3
105.9
154.9
569.0
89.4
164.6
483.2
311.7
278.6
95.5
325.2
77.3
-0.1
4.5
2.1
17.7
0.0
5.0
20.3
8.4
13.4
0.1
5.9
3.1
-7.1
4.4
1.4
3.2
0.0
3.1
4.4
2.8
5.1
0.1
1.8
2,613.1
98.4
193.0
415.2
76.0
174.4
447.3
530.9
263.0
103.4
311.5
2,620.0
94.0
190.2
408.7
76.1
174.1
450.0
555.8
245.9
102.2
323.0
2,644.9
99.3
190.7
414.4
76.4
174.6
454.8
552.2
257.1
103.0
322.4
2,665.9
103.6
193.1
418.7
77.9
177.4
460.7
542.0
269.2
105.2
318.1
52.8
5.2
0.1
3.5
1.9
3.0
13.4
11.1
6.2
1.8
6.6
2.0
5.3
0.1
0.8
2.5
1.7
3.0
2.1
2.4
1.7
2.1
4,557.5
1.6
163.3
412.4
910.1
81.4
291.6
808.5
683.1
456.4
198.2
550.9
4,529.5
1.4
155.3
405.9
909.4
80.0
284.5
806.2
701.5
435.4
193.0
556.9
4,584.0
1.5
163.0
405.7
919.1
80.6
285.5
818.2
702.1
450.3
194.9
563.1
4,618.7
1.5
168.4
409.0
926.9
81.1
289.1
827.6
699.8
460.7
196.2
558.4
61.2
-0.1
5.1
-3.4
16.8
-0.3
-2.5
19.1
16.7
4.3
-2.0
7.5
1.3
-6.3
3.1
-0.8
1.8
-0.4
-0.9
2.4
2.4
0.9
-1.0
1.4
3,283.3
194.9
263.3
679.7
83.0
265.7
536.1
398.1
343.6
118.5
400.4
3,369.1
198.3
261.0
700.7
81.1
275.4
557.2
415.9
349.7
117.8
412.0
3,377.1
196.4
260.5
703.0
81.2
276.8
557.3
416.5
354.2
117.0
414.2
3,401.1
197.4
262.0
706.6
81.2
277.3
567.7
419.3
362.8
118.2
408.6
117.8
2.5
-1.3
26.9
-1.8
11.6
31.6
21.2
19.2
-0.3
8.2
3.6
1.3
-0.5
4.0
-2.2
4.4
5.9
5.3
5.6
-0.3
2.0
2,931.3
109.2
202.8
2,971.6
110.5
206.4
2,982.7
108.1
204.4
2,987.0
108.9
205.2
55.7
-0.3
2.4
1.9
-0.3
1.2
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
6
Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not
seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands) - Continued
Area and Industry
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach,
FL
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining, logging, and construction.............
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJDE-MD
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining, logging, and construction.............
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Jun.
2014
Apr.
2015
May
2015
Jun.
2015(p)
Change from
Jun. 2014 to Jun. 2015
Number
Percent
255.3
594.9
33.3
148.1
466.8
347.4
294.1
105.5
373.9
252.1
602.8
34.3
146.6
464.3
362.4
301.2
103.9
387.1
249.0
608.3
33.8
146.0
471.2
363.2
307.6
104.5
386.6
247.0
607.5
33.9
146.7
477.7
361.7
312.9
106.1
379.4
-8.3
12.6
0.6
-1.4
10.9
14.3
18.8
0.6
5.5
-3.3
2.1
1.8
-0.9
2.3
4.1
6.4
0.6
1.5
5,709.0
5.4
201.7
524.6
1,049.9
213.2
324.2
880.2
923.3
666.5
200.7
719.3
5,850.9
5.1
213.7
525.8
1,067.8
225.5
327.3
899.1
971.4
676.5
204.4
734.3
5,860.4
5.2
214.9
526.2
1,069.9
216.5
326.4
900.9
976.1
684.8
207.1
732.4
5,861.0
5.3
216.0
526.9
1,074.8
215.4
327.6
903.2
966.3
688.2
208.7
728.6
152.0
-0.1
14.3
2.3
24.9
2.2
3.4
23.0
43.0
21.7
8.0
9.3
2.7
-1.9
7.1
0.4
2.4
1.0
1.0
2.6
4.7
3.3
4.0
1.3
2,395.9
0.6
102.1
80.8
561.1
48.3
168.4
387.0
353.7
296.2
117.0
280.7
2,499.8
0.6
105.7
81.8
576.0
48.3
174.5
401.8
369.2
314.1
121.5
306.3
2,502.0
0.6
106.2
81.3
576.9
48.6
175.6
403.1
371.3
311.7
121.1
305.6
2,467.0
0.6
107.1
81.3
574.8
48.4
174.0
403.5
365.8
309.5
122.4
279.6
71.1
0.0
5.0
0.5
13.7
0.1
5.6
16.5
12.1
13.3
5.4
-1.1
3.0
0.0
4.9
0.6
2.4
0.2
3.3
4.3
3.4
4.5
4.6
-0.4
9,226.9
356.1
373.2
1,702.4
286.4
763.3
1,447.2
1,705.3
886.0
408.6
1,298.4
9,226.4
348.1
366.2
1,689.0
284.0
752.1
1,443.7
1,784.7
837.5
409.8
1,311.3
9,318.3
362.2
367.8
1,706.3
283.5
754.1
1,454.6
1,791.1
873.0
418.0
1,307.7
9,395.8
373.5
370.3
1,717.1
285.8
765.8
1,469.1
1,770.9
916.1
423.5
1,303.7
168.9
17.4
-2.9
14.7
-0.6
2.5
21.9
65.6
30.1
14.9
5.3
1.8
4.9
-0.8
0.9
-0.2
0.3
1.5
3.8
3.4
3.6
0.4
2,803.9
108.6
180.2
516.0
46.6
2,814.0
110.2
178.3
516.8
45.5
2,831.1
115.0
177.9
520.4
45.7
2,836.1
116.3
178.9
523.7
45.8
32.2
7.7
-1.3
7.7
-0.8
1.1
7.1
-0.7
1.5
-1.7
Note: See footnotes at end of table.
7
Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not
seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands) - Continued
Area and Industry
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining and logging ...................................
Construction .............................................
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VAMD-WV
Total nonfarm................................................
Mining, logging, and construction.............
Manufacturing...........................................
Trade, transportation, and utilities ............
Information ...............................................
Financial activities ....................................
Professional and business services .........
Education and health services .................
Leisure and hospitality..............................
Other services ..........................................
Government..............................................
Jun.
2014
Apr.
2015
May
2015
Jun.
2015(p)
Change from
Jun. 2014 to Jun. 2015
Number
Percent
205.3
451.8
577.8
258.6
120.5
338.5
205.5
442.2
603.3
248.9
121.8
341.5
206.3
445.0
597.4
260.9
122.5
340.0
206.3
447.5
590.1
269.3
121.9
336.3
1.0
-4.3
12.3
10.7
1.4
-2.2
0.5
-1.0
2.1
4.1
1.2
-0.6
1,816.0
3.4
96.1
118.6
360.9
35.4
161.6
306.9
263.5
196.2
64.1
209.3
1,904.3
3.4
99.6
116.4
368.0
35.7
165.6
316.0
277.7
209.0
68.6
244.3
1,895.0
3.4
101.3
116.9
367.7
35.4
166.6
315.7
277.6
206.9
68.2
235.3
1,866.8
3.4
102.0
117.3
367.8
35.9
166.0
318.7
276.2
200.7
67.8
211.0
50.8
0.0
5.9
-1.3
6.9
0.5
4.4
11.8
12.7
4.5
3.7
1.7
2.8
0.0
6.1
-1.1
1.9
1.4
2.7
3.8
4.8
2.3
5.8
0.8
2,188.6
0.9
101.5
121.0
352.7
78.1
128.1
440.5
323.6
254.3
83.5
304.4
2,238.7
0.8
105.0
123.8
353.5
81.2
126.3
464.8
331.2
255.1
86.6
310.4
2,247.3
0.8
103.8
124.4
356.6
81.0
127.4
467.1
329.8
259.2
86.1
311.1
2,253.3
0.8
105.3
124.6
359.7
81.5
127.5
470.0
326.2
262.4
85.9
309.4
64.7
-0.1
3.8
3.6
7.0
3.4
-0.6
29.5
2.6
8.1
2.4
5.0
3.0
-11.1
3.7
3.0
2.0
4.4
-0.5
6.7
0.8
3.2
2.9
1.6
3,135.9
152.1
50.6
398.0
77.8
153.2
709.9
394.5
313.8
196.2
689.8
3,163.0
150.5
48.9
402.4
75.6
149.9
718.6
421.2
303.2
194.5
698.2
3,183.2
153.7
48.9
404.1
76.7
149.2
724.8
419.2
310.9
196.1
699.6
3,204.4
153.3
49.3
407.5
78.0
150.9
734.8
413.3
320.4
197.7
699.2
68.5
1.2
-1.3
9.5
0.2
-2.3
24.9
18.8
6.6
1.5
9.4
2.2
0.8
-2.6
2.4
0.3
-1.5
3.5
4.8
2.1
0.8
1.4
(p) preliminary
8