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Economy & jobs Statistics · Area

Unemployment rate in Harris County

1990 – 2025 · 36 data points 65 of 254 · Regions of Texas Updated Oct 21, 2026

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 1990 – 2025

Unemployment rate, 1990 – 2025 percent · Harris County · Texas · United States · World
−0.2 pp since 2015
Harris County Texas United States World

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Compared with Unemployment rate · percent
Harris County
4.5%
Texas
4.2%
United States
3.6% · 2023
World
4.8%

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators

The series at a glance Harris County · 1990 – 2025
Latest value 4.5% · 2025
First value 5.1% · 1990
Highest 8.8% · 2020
Lowest 3.8% · 2019
Data points 36

By year

All years · 1990 – 2025

YearHarris CountyChange TexasUnited StatesWorld
2025 4.5% ±0.0 pp 4.2% — 4.8%
2024 4.5% +0.2 pp 4.1% — 4.8%
2023 4.3% +0.1 pp 4.0% 3.6% 4.8%
2022 4.2% −2.1 pp 3.9% 3.7% 5.2%
2021 6.3% −2.5 pp 5.6% 5.4% 6.0%
2020 8.8% +5.0 pp 7.7% 8.1% 6.6%
2019 3.8% −0.6 pp 3.5% 3.7% 5.6%
2018 4.4% −0.6 pp 3.9% 3.9% 5.8%
2017 5.0% −0.3 pp 4.4% 4.4% 5.9%
2016 5.3% +0.6 pp 4.6% 4.9% 6.0%
2015 4.7% −0.3 pp 4.5% 5.3% 6.0%
2014 5.0% −1.1 pp 5.2% 6.2% 6.0%
2013 6.1% −0.5 pp 6.3% 5.3% 6.1%
2012 6.6% −1.5 pp 6.7% 8.1% 6.2%
2011 8.1% −0.3 pp 8.0% 9.0% 6.1%
2010 8.4% +0.8 pp 8.3% 9.6% 6.3%
2009 7.6% +2.9 pp 7.6% 9.3% 6.4%
2008 4.7% +0.4 pp 4.9% 5.8% 5.8%
2007 4.3% −0.8 pp 4.4% 4.6% 5.8%
2006 5.1% −0.7 pp 5.0% 4.6% 6.0%
2005 5.8% −0.5 pp 5.5% 5.1% 6.2%
2004 6.3% −0.6 pp 6.0% 5.5% 6.3%
2003 6.9% +0.8 pp 6.8% 6.0% 6.5%
2002 6.1% +1.4 pp 6.4% 5.8% 6.4%
2001 4.7% +0.4 pp 5.0% 4.8% 6.2%
2000 4.3% −0.5 pp 4.4% 4.0% 6.1%
1999 4.8% +0.4 pp 4.7% 4.2% 6.3%
1998 4.4% −0.9 pp 5.0% 4.5% 6.2%
1997 5.3% −0.3 pp 5.4% 4.9% 6.0%
1996 5.6% −0.5 pp 5.8% 5.4% 6.0%
1995 6.1% −0.8 pp 6.1% 5.6% 5.9%
1994 6.9% −0.7 pp 6.6% — 5.8%
1993 7.6% +0.2 pp 7.2% — 5.5%
1992 7.4% +1.6 pp 7.7% — 5.3%
1991 5.8% +0.7 pp 6.9% — 5.1%
1990 5.1% 6.4% — —

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics · OECD Regional Database · World Bank — World Development Indicators, 1990 – 2025

Ranking · Regions of Texas

2015 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
171 Anderson County 4.0%
215 Andrews County 3.5%
45 Angelina County 5.6%
71 Aransas County 5.1%
117 Archer County 4.5%
249 Armstrong County 2.7%
84 Atascosa County 4.8%
108 Austin County 4.6%
134 Bailey County 4.3%
172 Bandera County 4.0%
181 Bastrop County 3.9%
210 Baylor County 3.6%
31 Bee County 6.2%
99 Bell County 4.7%
188 Bexar County 3.8%
233 Blanco County 3.2%
243 Borden County 2.9%
118 Bosque County 4.5%
85 Bowie County 4.8%
109 Brazoria County 4.6%
226 Brazos County 3.3%
173 Brewster County 4.0%
182 Briscoe County 3.9%
6 Brooks County 10.0%
135 Brown County 4.3%
…
241 Hansford County 3.0%
78 Hardeman County 5.0%
42 Hardin County 5.7%
104 Harris County 4.7%
56 Harrison County 5.3%
253 Hartley County 2.1%
216 Haskell County 3.5%
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2015

What it means

The share of people who want a job and are looking for one but do not have one.

How it is calculated

Unemployed people divided by the labour force (employed plus unemployed), following the international definition; annual average.