FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:                                              FOR RELEASE:
Cheryl Abbot, Regional Economist                                      October 28, 2008
(214) 767-6970     



                       HOUSTON-SUGAR LAND-BAYTOWN JOB GROWTH HIGHEST
                           AMONG THE 12 LARGEST AREAS NATIONWIDE

     Total nonfarm employment in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan Statistical 
Area stood at 2,626,700 in September 2008, an increase of 55,700 jobs over the year, the 
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  From September 
2007 to September 2008, nonfarm employment rose 2.2 percent in the local area compared to a 
0.4-percent decline nationwide.  Among the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, 
Houston had the highest rate of job growth, followed by another Texas area, Dallas-Fort 
Worth-Arlington, at 1.8 percent.  Regional Commissioner Stanley W. Suchman noted that while 
the rate of gain in Houston has slowed notably during the last year, September's advance 
continued the trend of over-the-year employment increases that began in March 2004.  (See 
chart A and table 1; Technical Note at end of release contains metropolitan area definitions.
All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis
is used throughout.)


Chart A.  Total nonfarm employment, over-the-year percent change in the 
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area, January 2001-September 2008
Chart A.  Total nonfarm employment, over-the-year percent change in the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area, January 2001-September 2008


Industry employment
     In the Houston area, 10 of the 11 industry supersectors added at least 1,000 jobs from 
September 2007 to September 2008.  Trade, transportation, and utilities, and education and 
health services experienced the largest over-the-year employment gains, up 9,200 and 9,100 
jobs, respectively.  The local rate of job gain in trade, transportation, and utilities, 1.8 
percent, was in sharp contrast to the national decrease of 1.4 percent.  In comparison, 
educational and health services' 3.2-percent increase was similar to the nationwide advance 
of 3.1 percent.  The educational and health services industry accounted for 11 percent of 
the local workforce, but made up 16 percent of Houstons job growth from September a year 
ago.


Chart B.  Over-the-year percent change in employment by industry supersector,
United States and the Houston metropolitan area, September 2008
Chart B.  Over-the-year percent change in employment by industry supersector, United States and the Houston metropolitan area, September 2008


     Four other local supersectors recorded gains of more than 5,000 jobs from September 
2007.  Employment in Houston's professional and business services rose by 7,400, or 1.9 
percent; this compared to a 1.1-percent decline in the industry nationally.  Public sector 
employment in the Houston area grew by 6,800, an increase of 1.9 percent; nationwide, 
government grew at a slower pace, advancing 1.4 percent.  The natural resources and mining 
supersector continued to register strong growth locally with the addition of 6,700 jobs.  
During the 12-month period, employment in this supersector increased 7.9 percent in Houston; 
still, this was slower than the 9.8-percent rate of growth recorded nationwide.  Local 
employment in natural resources and mining accounted for 3.5 percent of the workforce in 
September 2008, but the supersector was responsible for 12.0 percent of Houston's over-the-
year job growth.  Construction employment advanced 5,700 in Houston, a 2.9 percent increase; 
nationally, this industry declined 5.9 percent.

     Smaller local gains were registered in manufacturing, financial activities, leisure and 
hospitality, and other services, while employment in the local information supersector was 
little changed during the last 12 months.


Employment in the 12 largest areas
     The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown area was one of the nation's 12 largest metropolitan 
statistical areas in September 2008.  Five of these 12 areas experienced over-the-year job 
growth, another 5 lost jobs, and 2 areas registered no growth.  Nationally, employment 
declined 0.4 percent.  

     Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown registered the fastest rate of gain, up 2.2 percent, 
followed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, up 1.8 percent.  The other three areas experiencing 
employment growth during the 12-month period were:  Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (1.4 
percent), Boston-Cambridge-Quincy (0.8 percent), and New York-Northern New Jersey-Long 
Island (0.2 percent).  (See chart C.)

     Those areas with over-the-year job losses were:  San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont (-0.8 
percent), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana (-0.9 percent), Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano 
Beach (-1.3 percent), Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta (-1.4 percent), and Detroit-Warren-
Livonia (-2.9 percent).  Chicago-Naperville-Joliet and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 
registered no job growth.  

     Houston, the area with the fastest rate of job growth in the nation in September 2008, 
also added the largest number of jobs over the year, 55,700, followed closely by Dallas with 
54,300.  Washington was third, adding 40,700 to its count.  The largest declines in 
employment occurred in Detroit (-57,800) and Los Angeles (-53,200).  Two other areas, 
Atlanta and Miami, lost more than 30,000 jobs.


Chart C.  Over-the-year percent change in employment, United States and 12 largest
metropolitan areas, September 2008
Chart C.  Over-the-year percent change in employment, 12 largest metropolitan areas and the United States, September 2008


Additional information
     For personal assistance or further information on the Current Employment Statistics 
program, as well as other Bureau programs, contact the Southwest Information Office at 214-
767-6970 from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Information in this 
release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 
202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.



                                       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 in which 
State employment security agencies prepare the data using concepts, definitions, and 
technical procedures prescribed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

     Employment Definition.  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 survey, 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 
standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on 
November 20, 2007.  A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at 
www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/fy2008/b08-01.pdf.

     The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) includes Austin, 
Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, San Jacinto, and 
Waller Counties in Texas.

________________________________________________________________________________________________
 

    
Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, U.S. and Houston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry
Sept
2007
July
2008
Aug
2008
Sept
2008(p)
Change from Sept
2007 to Sept 2008
Number Percent

U.S.

 

Total nonfarm

138,075 137,259 137,231 137,476 -599 -0.4

Natural resources and mining

736 790 806 808 72 9.8

Construction

7,811 7,462 7,465 7,350 -461 -5.9

Manufacturing

13,890 13,526 13,521 13,443 -447 -3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

26,584 26,378 26,335 26,221 -363 -1.4

Information

3,016 2,997 2,988 2,966 -50 -1.7

Financial activities

8,282 8,279 8,258 8,172 -110 -1.3

Professional and business services

18,133 18,022 18,016 17,933 -200 -1.1

Educational and health services

18,372 18,593 18,653 18,947 575 3.1

Leisure and hospitality

13,712 14,324 14,253 13,753 41 0.3

Other services

5,477 5,597 5,561 5,510 33 0.6

Government

22,062 21,291 21,375 22,373 311 1.4

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

 

Total nonfarm

2,571.0 2,607.4 2,617.1 2,626.7 55.7 2.2

Natural resources and mining

85.1 91.3 91.9 91.8 6.7 7.9

Construction

197.5 202.9 203.1 203.2 5.7 2.9

Manufacturing

234.7 237.2 237.5 237.9 3.2 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

523.4 530.9 533.7 532.6 9.2 1.8

Information

36.7 37.0 36.9 36.5 -0.2 -0.5

Financial activities

145.7 148.4 148.7 148.7 3.0 2.1

Professional and business services

387.0 394.1 395.4 394.4 7.4 1.9

Educational and health services

285.9 290.5 292.6 295.0 9.1 3.2

Leisure and hospitality

230.6 237.2 237.4 233.6 3.0 1.3

Other services

94.3 96.9 96.5 96.1 1.8 1.9

Government

350.1 341.0 343.4 356.9 6.8 1.9
(p) preliminary
Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry
Sept
2007
July
2008
Aug
2008
Sept
2008(p)
Change from Sept
2007 to Sept 2008
Number Percent

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA

 

Total nonfarm

2,466.9 2,439.9 2,450.5 2,433.3 -33.6 -1.4

Natural resources and mining

2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 -0.1 -4.0

Construction

139.2 135.9 132.0 128.1 -11.1 -8.0

Manufacturing

174.9 169.4 168.0 166.7 -8.2 -4.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

562.8 561.0 560.2 557.8 -5.0 -0.9

Information

87.8 88.5 88.3 88.1 0.3 0.3

Financial activities

162.1 159.7 159.9 158.3 -3.8 -2.3

Professional and business services

412.8 408.5 410.9 404.1 -8.7 -2.1

Educational and health services

256.2 257.1 261.2 263.6 7.4 2.9

Leisure and hospitality

236.2 241.3 240.4 236.3 0.1 0.0

Other services

97.9 99.6 98.4 98.7 0.8 0.8

Government

334.5 316.5 328.8 329.2 -5.3 -1.6

Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH

 

Total nonfarm

2,494.2 2,499.6 2,491.8 2,513.5 19.3 0.8

Natural resources and mining

1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 0.0 0.0

Construction

104.5 103.3 103.4 101.4 -3.1 -3.0

Manufacturing

221.6 219.9 220.1 219.1 -2.5 -1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

417.1 417.3 416.8 416.3 -0.8 -0.2

Information

74.6 75.2 74.8 74.3 -0.3 -0.4

Financial activities

188.6 190.2 190.0 186.7 -1.9 -1.0

Professional and business services

411.8 422.5 424.6 421.8 10.0 2.4

Educational and health services

463.5 466.0 463.2 475.6 12.1 2.6

Leisure and hospitality

222.7 233.7 233.9 226.5 3.8 1.7

Other services

88.3 90.4 90.2 87.6 -0.7 -0.8

Government

300.4 279.9 273.6 303.1 2.7 0.9

Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI

 

Total nonfarm

4,587.8 4,593.4 4,585.0 4,587.3 -0.5 0.0

Natural resources and mining

2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 0.1 4.2

Construction

224.7 218.4 218.4 215.9 -8.8 -3.9

Manufacturing

482.8 477.8 477.2 476.1 -6.7 -1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

927.8 935.5 933.5 931.8 4.0 0.4

Information

91.2 91.2 90.9 90.2 -1.0 -1.1

Financial activities

327.5 326.9 326.6 324.1 -3.4 -1.0

Professional and business services

753.7 757.3 759.5 759.8 6.1 0.8

Educational and health services

592.7 593.2 593.3 600.4 7.7 1.3

Leisure and hospitality

416.5 425.4 426.0 418.0 1.5 0.4

Other services

198.5 204.2 203.7 199.6 1.1 0.6

Government

569.5 561.0 553.4 568.9 -0.6 -0.1

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

 

Total nonfarm

2,964.1 3,001.0 3,013.3 3,018.4 54.3 1.8

Natural resources, mining, and construction

192.4 199.3 201.0 201.1 8.7 4.5

Manufacturing

297.5 293.1 293.4 292.2 -5.3 -1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities

623.8 632.4 635.5 634.5 10.7 1.7

Information

89.5 88.7 88.9 88.3 -1.2 -1.3

Financial activities

233.9 238.0 238.2 237.4 3.5 1.5

Professional and business services

448.4 447.6 447.9 448.4 0.0 0.0

Educational and health services

320.9 329.9 333.2 335.8 14.9 4.6

Leisure and hospitality

279.9 294.5 294.8 291.4 11.5 4.1

Other services

107.9 111.3 111.3 110.2 2.3 2.1

Government

369.9 366.2 369.1 379.1 9.2 2.5

Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI

 

Total nonfarm

1,966.0 1,892.9 1,896.3 1,908.2 -57.8 -2.9

Natural resources, mining, and construction

75.8 67.7 67.1 65.2 -10.6 -14.0

Manufacturing

256.6 227.1 229.3 230.2 -26.4 -10.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities

363.3 358.1 357.6 356.5 -6.8 -1.9

Information

33.7 32.7 32.7 32.4 -1.3 -3.9

Financial activities

110.1 109.3 108.9 106.4 -3.7 -3.4

Professional and business services

351.3 340.9 343.7 342.7 -8.6 -2.4

Educational and health services

278.8 281.3 281.2 283.5 4.7 1.7

Leisure and hospitality

185.8 186.8 187.1 183.7 -2.1 -1.1

Other services

88.0 86.7 86.3 86.4 -1.6 -1.8

Government

222.6 202.3 202.4 221.2 -1.4 -0.6

Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX

 

Total nonfarm

2,571.0 2,607.4 2,617.1 2,626.7 55.7 2.2

Natural resources and mining

85.1 91.3 91.9 91.8 6.7 7.9

Construction

197.5 202.9 203.1 203.2 5.7 2.9

Manufacturing

234.7 237.2 237.5 237.9 3.2 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities

523.4 530.9 533.7 532.6 9.2 1.8

Information

36.7 37.0 36.9 36.5 -0.2 -0.5

Financial activities

145.7 148.4 148.7 148.7 3.0 2.1

Professional and business services

387.0 394.1 395.4 394.4 7.4 1.9

Educational and health services

285.9 290.5 292.6 295.0 9.1 3.2

Leisure and hospitality

230.6 237.2 237.4 233.6 3.0 1.3

Other services

94.3 96.9 96.5 96.1 1.8 1.9

Government

350.1 341.0 343.4 356.9 6.8 1.9

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA

 

Total nonfarm

5,628.3 5,554.2 5,543.8 5,575.1 -53.2 -0.9

Natural resources and mining

5.0 5.0 5.0 5.0 0.0 0.0

Construction

264.7 249.1 250.0 249.2 -15.5 -5.9

Manufacturing

622.7 615.0 614.0 612.7 -10.0 -1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,097.7 1,084.1 1,080.9 1,081.5 -16.2 -1.5

Information

248.2 229.5 238.6 242.3 -5.9 -2.4

Financial activities

367.0 353.4 351.7 349.3 -17.7 -4.8

Professional and business services

879.8 870.9 870.7 868.6 -11.2 -1.3

Educational and health services

631.9 627.2 627.3 644.2 12.3 1.9

Leisure and hospitality

574.3 582.8 580.9 575.9 1.6 0.3

Other services

195.9 197.1 196.0 197.0 1.1 0.6

Government

741.1 740.1 728.7 749.4 8.3 1.1

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL

 

Total nonfarm

2,420.8 2,363.3 2,390.3 2,388.4 -32.4 -1.3

Natural resources and mining

0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.0 0.0

Construction

156.0 139.9 137.7 137.3 -18.7 -12.0

Manufacturing

95.9 91.4 91.4 91.4 -4.5 -4.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

541.0 538.7 536.4 533.3 -7.7 -1.4

Information

51.6 51.1 50.8 50.8 -0.8 -1.6

Financial activities

178.5 174.2 172.9 171.6 -6.9 -3.9

Professional and business services

397.9 390.2 389.5 387.1 -10.8 -2.7

Educational and health services

320.2 324.3 327.2 330.8 10.6 3.3

Leisure and hospitality

249.1 250.3 251.5 251.0 1.9 0.8

Other services

100.8 101.5 101.1 101.3 0.5 0.5

Government

329.1 301.0 331.1 333.1 4.0 1.2

New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA

 

Total nonfarm

8,581.5 8,637.7 8,587.5 8,601.7 20.2 0.2

Natural resources, mining, and construction

375.9 375.3 378.8 377.8 1.9 0.5

Manufacturing

450.9 430.2 429.7 432.5 -18.4 -4.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,612.9 1,605.8 1,601.5 1,612.9 0.0 0.0

Information

290.0 295.9 295.6 294.2 4.2 1.4

Financial activities

796.8 795.8 791.6 782.2 -14.6 -1.8

Professional and business services

1,311.4 1,321.5 1,323.5 1,316.3 4.9 0.4

Educational and health services

1,435.1 1,438.3 1,430.1 1,455.8 20.7 1.4

Leisure and hospitality

664.8 700.2 695.3 678.4 13.6 2.0

Other services

371.3 378.0 376.4 375.6 4.3 1.2

Government

1,272.4 1,296.7 1,265.0 1,276.0 3.6 0.3

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmingon, PA-NJ-DE-MD

 

Total nonfarm

2,810.8 2,808.7 2,796.7 2,809.5 -1.3 0.0

Natural resources, mining, and construction

132.6 129.8 130.4 128.7 -3.9 -2.9

Manufacturing

219.3 215.8 215.0 213.9 -5.4 -2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

529.3 529.1 526.9 527.0 -2.3 -0.4

Information

58.6 57.5 57.5 57.6 -1.0 -1.7

Financial activities

218.9 217.7 217.0 213.7 -5.2 -2.4

Professional and business services

430.7 436.3 436.1 435.4 4.7 1.1

Educational and health services

525.0 526.6 523.9 534.0 9.0 1.7

Leisure and hospitality

225.0 234.7 233.7 226.2 1.2 0.5

Other services

124.2 125.8 124.9 124.0 -0.2 -0.2

Government

347.2 335.4 331.3 349.0 1.8 0.5

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

 

Total nonfarm

2,042.5 2,025.3 2,021.8 2,026.0 -16.5 -0.8

Natural resources and mining

1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 0.1 6.7

Construction

121.4 116.2 116.9 116.1 -5.3 -4.4

Manufacturing

137.9 136.5 136.6 136.3 -1.6 -1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities

359.3 353.6 353.4 353.2 -6.1 -1.7

Information

68.6 67.8 67.9 67.6 -1.0 -1.5

Financial activities

151.2 146.9 146.9 146.5 -4.7 -3.1

Professional and business services

359.4 362.7 362.4 362.0 2.6 0.7

Educational and health services

229.8 229.9 229.6 231.6 1.8 0.8

Leisure and hospitality

216.5 217.9 217.7 215.9 -0.6 -0.3

Other services

75.5 75.4 74.9 74.8 -0.7 -0.9

Government

321.4 316.8 313.9 320.4 -1.0 -0.3

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

 

Total nonfarm

2,992.3 3,031.4 3,025.7 3,033.0 40.7 1.4

Natural resources, mining, and construction

186.8 183.3 183.4 181.5 -5.3 -2.8

Manufacturing

62.5 61.6 61.9 61.8 -0.7 -1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

401.7 405.9 404.3 401.9 0.2 0.0

Information

93.1 92.6 91.9 91.0 -2.1 -2.3

Financial activities

157.8 156.9 156.7 155.0 -2.8 -1.8

Professional and business services

678.3 694.9 695.4 691.7 13.4 2.0

Educational and health services

328.2 329.4 328.8 340.1 11.9 3.6

Leisure and hospitality

257.8 266.8 266.0 259.6 1.8 0.7

Other services

180.0 189.2 187.9 188.1 8.1 4.5

Government

646.1 650.8 649.4 662.3 16.2 2.5
(p) preliminary

 

Last Modified Date: October 28, 2008