The Southwest Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) today released the July 2019 report on industry employment in the 12 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, with special emphasis on the Houston area.
Houston ranked second among the 12 largest areas in the country with an annual job growth rate of 3.0 percent, while it ranked third in the number of jobs added. (See charts 1 and 3.)
Dallas ranked first for annual growth rate (3.5 percent), as compared to the U.S. growth rate, which was 1.5 percent during the period.
Dallas ranked second among the areas for number of jobs added. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Stanley W. Suchman noted the following highlights for Houston:
Professional and business services added the largest number of jobs from July 2018 to July 2019, up 24,500.
The 4.9-percent local annual gain compared to the national increase of 2.2 percent.
Houston manufacturing added 11,000 jobs from July a year ago, the second-largest job gainamong supersectors.
The 4.8-percent increase in Houston’s manufacturing employment compared to a gain of 1.2 percent nationally.
The leisure and hospitality supersector gained 9,900 jobs since July 2018. The local annual increase of 3.0 percent compared to the national increase of 2.0 percent.