Houston's Job Market Weathering Economic Shifts: Diversification, Layoffs, and Future Prospects

Houston’s job market in August 2025 is defined by robust industry diversity but also clear signs of economic cooling. Employment is anchored by energy, health care, logistics, aerospace, digital services, and medical manufacturing. According to SITG Capital, energy still reigns as Houston’s economic engine, but medical technology, logistics, aerospace, and digital services show strong job growth and are increasingly attracting investment due to the city’s lower cost of living and growing reputation as an innovation hub. Indeed.com reports over 1,500 medical manufacturing jobs listed in Houston, underscoring the strength of health-adjacent sectors. The Greater Houston Partnership highlights the region’s international character and the presence of leading employers like Texas Medical Center, ExxonMobil, Shell, and Halliburton. Major job creators continue to include health care providers, oil and gas giants, and logistics leaders.

However, employment trends since early 2025 reflect headwinds from both local and national developments. The Houston Chronicle, referencing filings under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, notes that Harris County leads Texas in announced layoffs this quarter, with over 1,100 positions slated for elimination from major employers like Southwest Key Programs, Equus Workforce Solutions, Turner Industries, and Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. Nationally, hiring has slowed: the July jobs report cited by Click2Houston shows only 73,000 new jobs added across the U.S. for the month, and job gains for May and June were revised down sharply, reflecting broader hesitation among businesses to expand as inflation and tariffs return. There is currently a lack of precise, up-to-date monthly figures for Houston’s local unemployment rate, but growth has clearly decelerated compared to recent years.

Several major projects continue to shape the city’s employment landscape. TriPort 8, an 881,000-square-foot industrial park southeast of Houston, will boost logistics and warehousing jobs as it nears completion in 2026, according to Texas A&M Real Estate Center. Seasonal and cyclical trends remain pronounced, with hiring typically peaking in spring and early summer, and a surge in jobseekers expected at the upcoming Houston Job Fair in October 2025, as described by Eventbrite. Commuting remains dominated by car travel, given Houston’s urban sprawl, but increased work-from-home flexibility—although slowing from its pandemic peak—continues to affect demand for central office jobs.

The city government, in partnership with business alliances, promotes workforce development and skills training, though the impact of these programs is challenged by recent funding cuts and economic uncertainty. In terms of market evolution, Houston’s adaptability in shifting economic currents remains a critical strength. The area is leveraging its cross-sector resources to weather a complex environment shaped by global energy volatility, federal policy, and ongoing real estate growth.

Current job openings in Houston’s key sectors include a Delivery Manager and an OTC Analyst at Halliburton, as well as a Field Service Technician role at Siemens Gamesa, with hundreds of additional positions available in medical manufacturing and logistics. The market remains more competitive than last year, with layoffs tempering rapid growth. Despite recent setbacks, Houston’s long-term trajectory remains positive, powered by industry diversification and continued investment in logistics, health technology, and digital services.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Houston's job market in August twenty twenty five is defined
by robust industry diversity, but also clear signs of economic cooling.
Employment is anchored by energy, healthcare, logistics, aerospace, digital services,
and medical manufacturing. According to SITG Capital, energy still reigns
as Houston's economic engine, but medical, technology, logistics, aerospace, and

(00:24):
digital services show strong job growth and are increasingly attracting
investment due to the city's lower cost of living and
growing reputation as an innovation hub. Indeed, dot com reports
over one thousand, five hundred medical manufacturing jobs listed in Houston,
underscoring the strength of health adjacent sectors. The Greater Houston

(00:44):
Partnership highlights the region's international character and the presence of
leading employers like Texas Medical Center, Exon, Mobil, Shell, and
Hall Burton. Major job creators continue to include health care providers,
oil and gas giants, and leaders. However, employment trends since
early twenty twenty five reflect head winds from both local

(01:07):
and national developments. The Houston Chronicle, referencing filings under the
Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, notes that Harris County
leads Texas in announced layoffs this quarter. With over one thousand,
one hundred positions slated for elimination from major employers like Southwest,
Key Programs, Equous Workforce Solutions, Turner Industries, and Planned Parenthood

(01:31):
Gulf Coast. Nationally, hiring has slowed. The July jobs report
cited by Clique to Houston shows only seventy three thousand
new jobs added across the US for the month, and
job banes for May and June were revised down sharply,
reflecting broader hesitation among businesses to expand as inflation and
tariff's return. There is currently a lack of precise, up

(01:53):
to date monthly figures for Houston's local unemployment rate, but
growth has clearly decelerated compared to recent years. Several major
projects continue to shape the city's employment landscape. Triport eight,
an eight hundred eighty one thousand square foot industrial parks
southeast of Houston, will boost logistics and warehousing jobs as
it nears completion in twenty twenty six. According to Texas

(02:16):
A and M real Estate Center, Seasonal encyclical trends remain pronounced,
with hiring typically peaking in spring and early summer, and
a surgeon job seekers expected at the upcoming Houston job
fare in October twenty twenty five, as described by event Bright,
Commuting remains dominated by car travel given Houston's urban sprawl,
but increased work from home flexibility, although slowing from its

(02:38):
pandemic peak, continues to affect demand for central office jobs.
The city government, in partnership with business alliances, promotes workforce
development and skills training, though the impact of these programs
is challenged by recent funding cuts and etonomic uncertainty. In
terms of market evolution, Houston's adaptability in shifting economic currents

(02:58):
remains a critical strength. The area is leveraging its cross
sector resources to whether a complex environment shaped by global
energy volatility, federal policy, and ongoing real estate growth. Current
job openings in Houston's key sectors include a delivery manager
and an OTC analyst at Halliburton, as well as a
field service technician role at Siemens Games. With hundreds of

(03:22):
additional positions available in medical manufacturing and logistics, the market
remains more competitive than last year, with Layoff's tempering rapid growth.
Despite recent setbacks, Houston's long term trajectory remains positive, powered
by industry diversification and continued investment in logistics, health, technology,
and digital services. Thanks for tuning in and don't forget

(03:45):
to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production. For
more check out Quiet please dot ai