Texas Cities Set Employment Pace for November
by G. Scott Thomas (bizjournals writer)
January 7, 2009
The two largest markets in Texas -- Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth -- registered the nation's biggest gains in private-sector employment, according to employment figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .
The Houston area added 42,400 private-sector jobs between November 2007 and November 2008, and Dallas-Fort Worth picked up 35,100. No other U.S. market gained more than 15,600 private-sector jobs during the 12-month period.
Just one-fifth of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas, in fact, managed to add any jobs at all. Seventy-eight suffered losses, 21 posted increases, and one was unchanged.
November 2008 was the 56th straight month in which Houston recorded a year-to-year gain in private-sector employment. Its last loss occurred in March 2004. Dallas-Fort Worth did Houston one better, marking its 57th consecutive month on the up side.
Detroit was hit with the biggest loss of private-sector jobs, 67,700 in 12 months. November 2008 brought the 38th straight monthly decline for Detroit.
Four other markets lost more than 50,000 private-sector jobs during the past year: Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Phoenix.
The following are the 100 biggest labor markets in America, ranked according to raw change in private-sector employment between November 2007 and November 2008:
1. Houston, up 42,400 jobs
2. Dallas-Fort Worth, up 35,100 jobs
3. Washington, up 15,600 jobs
4. San Antonio, up 11,700 jobs
5. Seattle, up 9,900 jobs
6. Virginia Beach-Norfolk, up 9,100 jobs
7. Oklahoma City, up 8,100 jobs
8. New Orleans, up 7,200 jobs
9. McAllen-Edinburg, Texas, up 6,700 jobs
10. Austin, up 6,200 jobs
11. Boston, up 4,600 jobs
11. Raleigh, up 4,600 jobs
13. El Paso, Texas, up 4,100 jobs
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