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Metro Houston created 9,700 jobs in November, according to data released today by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). That’s a smaller-than-usual gain for a month that typically benefits from holiday-season hiring, and it falls below the roughly 15,000 new jobs the region averaged for November in the decade before the pandemic. That softer job growth is downstream of national trends with hiring cooling across the country even as layoffs remain low. Houston’s year-over-year job growth now exactly mirrors the U.S. pace of 0.5 percent.

November’s data was delayed because the Texas Workforce Commission could not complete its usual coordination with the Bureau of Labor Statistics during the government shutdown. The release was accompanied by October data, which showed a gain of 15,800 jobs for the month – slightly below the pre-pandemic October average of roughly 19,000. September employment gains were also revised down, from an unusually high 30,700 to 13,800 jobs.

Over the past 12 months, Houston added 18,500 jobs, with health care accounting for more than half of the increase—over 10,000 new positions. The sector has remained one of the region’s most consistent sources of job growth and tends to be relatively resilient during periods of slower hiring activity. Construction and restaurants and bars also recorded meaningful gains, adding 5,700 and 4,800 jobs, respectively. Because these industries rely more heavily than most on foreign-born labor, their continued expansion suggests the local labor market has not experienced the possible full effect of supply constraints related to new immigration enforcement measures.

While most sectors added positions, a few posted declines. Losses were most concentrated in office jobs, particularly professional, scientific, technical, and administrative support services. Because these fields provide services primarily to other businesses, the pullback likely reflects softer client demand and tighter discretionary spending. Manufacturing also shed jobs, largely in durable goods, which likely reflects weaker demand for oilfield equipment as West Texas Intermediate crude prices have eased below $60 a barrel.

Total non-farm payroll employment for the region now stands at 3,490,300.

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research Division.

Colin Baker
Manager of Economic Research
Greater Houston Partnership
[email protected]