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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 22, 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

2020 · Place 1 is the highest value.

#TerritoryUnemployment rate
1 Starr County 17.1%
2 Presidio County 16.8%
3 Maverick County 15.3%
4 Duval County 14.4%
5 Yoakum County 13.1%
6 Dimmit County 13.0%
7 Hudspeth County 13.0%
8 Jim Wells County 12.9%
9 Zapata County 12.1%
10 Ward County 11.7%
11 Ector County 11.5%
12 Hidalgo County 11.5%
13 Jefferson County 11.4%
14 Reagan County 11.1%
15 Zavala County 11.1%
16 Matagorda County 11.0%
17 Sabine County 11.0%
18 Jasper County 10.8%
19 Tyler County 10.8%
20 Newton County 10.7%
21 Morris County 10.5%
22 Reeves County 10.5%
23 Liberty County 10.3%
24 San Patricio County 10.1%
25 Cameron County 9.9%
…
43 Refugio County 8.9%
44 Schleicher County 8.9%
45 Atascosa County 8.8%
46 Harris County 8.8%
47 Jim Hogg County 8.8%
48 McMullen County 8.8%
49 San Jacinto County 8.8%
…

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2020

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.