Houston Leads the Nation in Employment Growth for Metro Areas in U.S.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' April 29, 2008 release, the Houston Metropolitan Area is still leading the nation in year over year job growth.

The stats not only indicate Houston as the hottest job market, it highlights the fact that Texas' other three major metro areas are dominating the job scene as well.

Two of the four metros in the U.S. that have added the most jobs are in Texas, Houston being #1 and Dallas/Fort Worth #3.

Four of the five top metros with the highest employment growth rate statistics are in Texas, with Houston, again, being 1, Austin #2, San Antonio #3, and Dallas, #5.

More proof that Texas is doing better than most states when it comes to economic worries is that the four major Texas cities are being called "recession proof", according to Forbes.com April 29, 2008 article that lists Houston, San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas in the top ten most recession-proof cities in the nation. Among other things, Forbes looked at unemployment data and median home prices and credited affordable housing and continued falling unemployment rates.

Houston and the other Texas cities continue to outperform the national economy because we get down to business and have policies that have encouraged growth and the "hot business climate" we enjoy.

Metro Employment Growth Rankings - Bureau of Labor Statistics

Total Employment Growth (year over year)

Most
Houston +80,100
New York +65,500
Dallas/FW +58,200
Seattle +35,700

Least
Detroit -45,300
Los Angeles -35,300
Riverside -21,700
Miami -20,800

Employment Growth Rate of Metros with average employment above 750,000 (year over year)

Houston +3.2%
Austin +2.9%
San Antonio +2.3%
Seattle +2.1%
Dallas/FW +2.0%