Houston’s employment sector is large and diverse, with over 3.1 million non-farm payroll jobs reported in January 2018.

Houston’s employment sector is large and diverse, with over 3.1 million non-farm payroll jobs reported in January 2018. Houston added 73,300 jobs in 2018, above the historical average growth of 50,000 to 60,000 jobs. Looking forward, Houston’s short-term job market is expected to see above normal growth, as the Greater Houston Partnership has forecast 71,000 jobs for 2019.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Houston’s industry sectors that posted annual gains of jobs in 2018 include construction, oil and gas, manufacturing, wholesale trade, financial activities, professional and business services, transportation, healthcare and social assistance, government, arts/entertainment/recreation, accommodation and food services, and other services. Industry sectors that registered annual job losses during the same time period include retail trade and information.

According to the The Associated General Contractors of America, the Houston MSA has the largest annual construction job gains between December 2017 and December 2018.

This Houston Employment Sector overview is part of the annual 2019 Houston Economic Outlook.

Sections covered in the full report include:

Population Growth | Employment Sector | Business Climate | Global Energy Capital | Petrochemical & Plastics Industry | Port Houston | NASA/Johnson Space Center | Mobility Infrastructure | Airport System | Texas Medical Center | Biosciences & Biotechnology