Big gains seen in oil and gas-related sectors
Houston-area employers added a mere 900 jobs in July, which in a month that typically sees losses of 16,000 each year, made it only the second time gains have occurred in this month since records began, according to data released this morning by Workforce Solutions. The not-seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate for July was unchanged from June’s 4.8 percent.
“Typically, in July we see a decrease in employment largely driven by layoffs in the Government sector related to public schools,” said Parker Harvey, the workforce development agency’s regional economist. “We did, in fact, see a cyclical job loss of 19,000 in that sector; but there was enough growth in eight of the remaining 10 sectors we track to more than make-up for it.”
The Professional & Business Services employment sector added the most jobs (5,900) in July followed closely by record-hiring in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector (+5,200).
“For the first six months of 2022, hiring in the Professional & Business Services sector has been extremely volatile,” Harvey explained, adding that initial monthly surveys indicating growth would be revised downward the following month.
“For the first time this year the Professional and Business Services sector was revised upward (in June) with July’s growth, and for the first time, over-the-month growth was evenly spread across the professional subsectors including the ones tied to oil and gas,” Harvey said. Mining & Logging and Manufacturing (primarily of durable goods), both of which are tied to the oil and gas industry also saw a record or near-record gain of 2,200 and 2,500 jobs, respectively.
July’s Workforce Solutions Index, which tracks the number of unique job ads in the Gulf Coast region, jumped to a record 7.28, marking 11 consecutive months of growth. More than 13,000 new job advertisements were posted in July compared to June.
“Now is a great time to look for work,” said Workforce Solutions senior manager Michelle Castrow. “Our career office staff is ready to help you update your resume and brush up on interview skills to help you land the job you want.” Workforce Solutions has 28 career offices throughout the 13-county region. To locate the office near you, visit: wrksolutions.com/find-a-location.
“You can also get great advice to aid your employment search on our new television program, Your Career Your Choice – Powered by Workforce Solutions airing each Saturday at 3:00 p.m. on KTBU Quest Texas 55,” Castrow added.
Additional labor market information, including the detailed June report, can be found online at: www.wrksolutions.com/localstats. The Texas Workforce Commission will release August employment data on September 16, 2022.
ABOUT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS: Workforce Solutions is dedicated to keeping the Texas Gulf Coast region a great place to do business, work and live. Our employer-driven, people-focused approach elevates the economic and human potential of the region to attract and retain the best employers, afford everyone the dignity of a job, and remain indispensable to the global economy. As the public workforce system for 13 counties in the Houston-Galveston region, we work in tandem with the Texas Workforce Commission and the statewide Workforce Solutions network to maintain the state’s largest job-match database – www.WorkInTexas.com.