Houston unemployment rate lowest since 2008

[Kilgore]

Source: Houston Business Journal

Houston's unemployment rate nears 5%

Houston’s unemployment rate hit 5.2 percent in March — the lowest rate since September 2008, the Texas Workforce Commission reported Friday.

That’s down from 5.7 percent in February and 6.1 percent in March 2013.

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Just returned from a week in Houston meeting with clients. Amazed at the pace. Companies I met with complained about the tight labor market for engineers.

Kilgore

Read more: http://m.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2014/04/18/houstons-unemployment-rate-nears-5.html?r=full

[ErikJ]

1. Oil boom related most likely

[TBF]

2. I believe it's Exxon that's building a huge

new facility up in the Woodlands. I heard about that recently but don't remember which oil company for sure.

It's true that the housing market here is tight - desirable neighborhoods are seeing the prices shoot back up to pre-recession levels.

[Igel]

3. Yup. Exxon Mobile.

It'll be interesting to see how it affects Spring ISD, which has been in a bit of decline in the last decade.

[TexasTowelie]

4. Similar numbers are being reported around the state.

I think that the rate at Midland plummeted below 3 percent.

There are opportunities available in certain sectors, but the info tech area is still weak. One of the jobs I heard from after I posted on Monster.com was for $33K as a data analyst in Southlake. That's nearly 40% less than my previous salary and Southlake is extremely expensive to live in plus there is no public transportation available. I doubt that I will return to the IT sector seeing how the wages have plummeted and most of the managers in the sector are probably on H1-B visas.

[bkanderson76]

5. Good news....the bad news is Houston is still in Texas....goes to show you can't have it all

[freshwest]

7. It didn't really feel that way growing up. But those skeeters... n/t

[TBF]

9. lol - you do know Houston!

I am in the suburbs south of the city. It is supposed to warm up next week but no rain forecasted (thankfully - because w/rain come baby mosquito eggs). Once the season gets going they come through with trucks to spray and also a plane.

[freshwest]

11. Yes! There was kidding about whether to designate the building crane or the mosquito the city bird.

I remember the fogging trucks going by every night. From the air doesn't sound like a good idea. Of course the fogging trucks counted on it going into the storm sewers and ditches, where they are. I think Houston still has seven varieties of skeeters that could carry diseases if not controlled. One organic way to control thing is supposed to be add garlic oil to their water and it kills them there. I guess the cold weather this winter didn't do any good, huh?

[Thinkingabout]

6. The Energy Corridor has cranes everywhere, some companies are growing rapidly.

Shell is expanding, Phillips is building a new building and engineering companies which support the oil companies are also growing. Hope we do not bust again.

[freshwest]

8. Houston was always an employment hub... And it never stops growing. n/t

[Nobel_Twaddle_III]

10. Yah, Yeah, but when are the rates coming up?

I left TX in February, because I could get a way better rate elsewhere. Even if I am still 8/hour under pre-crash rates it is better elsewhere. Also living in TX is not cheep.