The local unemployment rate shot up to 8.8 percent in January, the Texas Workforce Commission reported this morning. The rate was 8.2 percent in December.

The jump stemmed from an increase in the number of out-of-work Houston-area residents along with a decline in the number of those who are working, according to the commission. Unlike statewide jobless data, local data is not adjusted for seasonal variations.

For Texas overall , the news was better.

The Texas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 8.2 percent in January, unchanged from a revised 8.2 percent in December. The commission estimated earlier this year that the statewide unemployment rate for December was 8.3 percent.

The statewide jobless rate was still below the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. in January.