Understanding Houston's Record-Breaking Job Numbers

Greater Houston added 43,200 jobs in October, according to Workforce Solutions. That is more than any single month on record.

But don't go calling it a boom.

The number comes just a month after the area lost 16,000 jobs in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Patrick Jankowski, a regional economist with the Greater Houston Partnership, said Houston's job numbers are a bounce back after the storm, not a sign of boom times returning.

"We are where we should have been had we not had the hurricane,” Jankowski said.

The record-setting growth reflects the after-effects of Hurricane Harvey plus an expected post-summer improvement, not a surge in economic activity, the Greater Houston Partnership said in its most recent report. 

July lost 19,500 jobs, primarily in local school districts as educators rolled off school payrolls in the summer months. August’s and September’s cuts, 12,100 and 11,200, respectively, occurred primarily in food services and drinking places, retail and construction, as Houstonians stayed home during Hurricane Harvey and construction workers stayed off the job site.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's Houston Newsletters
Related Stories

The Wideman Co. Buys Downtown Tower From Brookfield: The Houston Deal Sheet

Forget Buildings, Retailers Are Leasing Environments

Private Equity Firm Buys Former Texas Instruments Campus For New Headquarters

Willy Walker: Data Shows Economic Resilience, Multifamily Rebound

Down On The Corner: How Long-Term Thinking Can Help Developers Make The Most Of Every Square Foot

Williams Tower Acquired For $300M In Largest Single-Property Office Sale Since 2019

Law Firm Ups Downtown Footprint To 139K SF: The Houston Deal Sheet

Artis Montrose, Disco Kroger Site Multifamily Redevelopment, Tops Out

Houston's Competitive Retail Market Brings Quick Backfills, In Most Cases

AI Infrastructure Manufacturer Building 400K SF Projects In Pearland

New H-E-B To Anchor Signorelli Co. Development In New Caney

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Project Coming To Sugar Land: The Houston Deal Sheet