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Metro Houston created 1,100 jobs in March, according to the Partnership’s analysis of data recently released by the Texas Workforce Commission. Only three times in the past 30 years has the region reported weaker job growth in the month, and two of those (March ’09 and March ’20) were in recession years.
The region saw job gains in a handful of sectors:
Gains in those sectors help to offset job losses elsewhere:
Employment in health care, restaurants, and bars was flat.
The Houston metro area has created 67,800 jobs over the 12 months ending March ’24. Total nonfarm payroll employment now tops 3,418,700.
The 67,800 jobs created since March ’23 represent a 2.0 percent growth rate. That’s a considerable drop when compared to the rate for the 12 months ending March ’23 (5.0 percent) and the comparable period for March ’22 (5.8 percent). However, it’s still somewhat above the long-term annual average for the region of 1.8 percent.
Readers are advised that the March employment numbers are preliminary and will likely be revised when the commission releases its estimates for April.
Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research
Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Chief Economist
Senior Vice President, Research
pjankowski@tjxxsls.com
Leta Wauson
Research Director
lwauson@tjxxsls.com
Metro Houston added 1,100 jobs in March '24
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