Construction Hiring Remains Strong in April

        (HOUSTON) Houston area builders and contractors continued adding staff to their payrolls in April, hiring 3,700 people last month, the largest gain in employment in this sector since 2014. Since last September, the construction sector has added nearly 2,500 jobs each month according to numbers released this morning by Workforce Solutions. Overall, the Houston area added a record-setting 29,700 jobs in April, the largest gain in that month since 2011 and the third-best month overall since records began 1990.   Parker Harvey, regional economist at the workforce development agency, said the Houston area has recovered all jobs lost during the short, but deep, recession that occurred at the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic, but notes that it has not been a broad-based recovery.   “Even though we’ve seen a big uptick in construction hiring, it remains more than six percent below pre-pandemic levels,” Harvey said. “Mining & Logging, which includes oil and gas extraction activities, is also lagging in its recovery. Despite oil trading above $110 per barrel, it’s more than 12 percent, or 10,000 jobs, below where it was in February 2020. Oil and gas companies remain reluctant to boost output and therefore hiring given continued economic and geopolitical uncertainty.”   The Leisure & Hospitality sector added 5,500 jobs in April as it continues adding staff for the summer, the second largest gain (after April 2021) since records began in 1990. “There’s still plenty of time to find summer work,” said Workforce Solutions’ manager Michelle Castrow. “First time workers and young adults, age 16 to 24, have a lot of options to make money this summer.” Castrow recommends stopping by one of the 37 full- and part-time career offices if you needed assistance looking for a summer job.   April’s Workforce Solutions Index, which compares the number of job ads to job candidates in the 13-county Gulf Coast region, is now at 5.42 or 5.42 jobs for every one job candidate. This is the highest reading since March 2020. Readings above 4.0 signal a labor market in favor of job seekers.   Additional labor market information including the detailed April report can be found online at: www.wrksolutions.com/localstats. Workforce Solutions will release May employment data on Friday, June 17, 2022.