Houston local employers add 80,100 jobs during past year

HOUSTON – Houston-area employers added 80,100 jobs between March 2013 and March 2014, a year-over-year gain of 2.9 percent, according to Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).

The construction industry added 5,800 jobs during the past year, a 3.1 percent increase according to TWC. Wholesalers created 5,600 new jobs, for a 3.8 percent gain. Transportation, warehousing and utilities added 3,600 jobs, for a 2.8 percent increase.

The growth rate for oil and gas exploration and production has been hovering in the 4.5 percent to 5 percent range for the past six to eight months.

An increasingly important part of the Houston economy is international trade. Houston companies are selling and shipping oil, liquefied natural gas, chemicals, equipment for oil and gas fields, and steel, among other products.

A few sectors, including finance and insurance, employment services and heavy and civil engineering construction, reported job losses over the last year.

The TWC also reported that the local unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in March. The rate was 5.7 percent in February.

Read more at the Houston Chronicle. For the full report, see Texas Workforce Commission.