Houston Area Leads in Job Creation

Houston Business Journal, March 21, 2007

GALVESTON —More jobs were created in Houston between January 2006 and January 2007 than in any other metropolitan area in the nation, new figures show.

Statistics released on Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the Houston metropolitan area gained 99,100 jobs in the 12-month period.

Oil- and gas-related jobs grew the most, with a 7.1 percent increase in the extraction sector and a 12.1 percent increase in support activities. Architectural and engineering services jobs rose by 11.1 percent, while computer systems design and related services jobs increased by 7.2 percent and jobs in durable goods manufacturing rose 5.9 percent.

"The BLS numbers show Houston on a dramatic growth trend, outpacing the rest of the nation in jobs gained," said Jeff Moseley, president and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership. "This is great news for our region and further validates our board's vision of contributing to the creation of 600,000 new jobs and $60 billion in capital investment by 2015."