Recession makes inroads into Houston workforce

Updated employment estimates

Wendy Natt, Apr 17, 09.

New estimates released by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on April 17 show job loss over the past year in the 10-county Houston metropolitan region to be worse than previously calculated. From March 2008 to March 2009, the area suffered a net loss of 14,400 jobs, or 0.6 percent. TWC revised the February-to-February losses as well, with new estimates showing a loss of 9,400 jobs, or 0.4 percent, compared to previous estimates for this period of 6,300 jobs lost, or 0.2 percent.

Overall, the private-sector lost 18,300 jobs from March 2008 to March 2009, but those losses were mitigated by gains in government employment (+3,900 new jobs), mining and logging (+4,100), and health care and social assistance (+8,200).

An email update of the revised TWC figures from the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) notes that, while oil- and gas-related mining and logging added jobs, employment in support activities for oil extraction declined for the third consecutive month, the first time that happened since 2002. This is important, says GHP, because “robust expansion in mining and logging…until recently has helped buffer Houston against worsening national economic conditions.”

Wholesale trade (-6,800 jobs) and architectural and engineering services (-2,800) sustained particularly noteworthy losses, according to GHP.

Overall unemployment in Houston did not change from February to March, remaining at 6.5 percent.

GHP’s April 17, 2009 Houston Economic Indicators report.

(Photo credit: swisscan)