YOUR GUIDE TO HOUSTON
Business & Economy in Houston
The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metropolitan Area labor market stood at 5.0% unemployment in August 2026, with 3,730,444 people employed. The largest sectors by jobs are Trade, Transportation & Utilities (20% of nonfarm jobs), Professional & Business Services (17% of nonfarm jobs) and Education & Health Services (14% of nonfarm jobs).
FEATURED LOCAL PARTNERS
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Brookdale Senior Living - Brookdale Shadowlake
Houston
For families comparing senior living choices, Brookdale’s materials outline care paths including assisted living, independent…
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Awty International School
Houston
Students can follow an international curriculum from PK3 through 12th grade, with language immersion in the early years and p…
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Murphys Corporate Housing Associates
The Woodlands
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Ross Enterprises Insurance Agency - Jo Ann Ross
Houston
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LABOR MARKET
Economic Snapshot
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Metropolitan Area · August 2026
Employment by Industry
TOTAL NONFARM EMPLOYMENT
3,495,300
August 2026
Trade, Transportation & Utilities
695,600
19.9%
of nonfarm employment
Professional & Business Services
581,300
16.6%
of nonfarm employment
Education & Health Services
476,400
13.6%
of nonfarm employment
Government
447,200
12.8%
of nonfarm employment
Leisure & Hospitality
376,900
10.8%
of nonfarm employment
Construction
342,300
9.8%
of nonfarm employment
Manufacturing
240,400
6.9%
of nonfarm employment
Financial Activities
176,700
5.1%
of nonfarm employment
Other Services
131,400
3.8%
of nonfarm employment
Information
27,100
0.8%
of nonfarm employment
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 2026
Recent Unemployment Rate
August
2025
4.9%
September
2025
4.8%
November
2025
4.6%
December
2025
4.3%
January
2026
4.9%
February
2026
4.7%
March
2026
4.4%
April
2026
4.3%
May
2026
4.6%
June
2026
5.2%
July
2026
5.1%
August
2026
5.0%
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
August 2026
Top and Major Employers
Reported for Harris County · FY 2025
- Amazon
- Baylor College of Medicine
- Chevron
- CHI St. Luke’s Health
- City of Houston
- Daikin
- ExxonMobil
- Harris County
- Harris Health System
- H-E-B
- Houston Methodist
- Kroger
- Memorial Hermann
- Shell USA Inc.
- Texas Children's
- United Airlines
- UT MD Anderson Cancer Center - Texas Medical Center
- UTHealth Houston
- Walmart
Principal corporate employers of Harris County as listed in the county's FY 2025 annual financial report, which names them alphabetically and does not publish their headcounts. Total county employment for 2025 was an estimated 3,733,300.
Employer figures are published as a general guide and should be treated as reported estimates rather than audited headcounts.
Click for more top, major & biggest employers →Official Employer Report
Harris County
Source vintage: FY 2025
The Guide is monitoring this official report for updates. Employer rankings will appear only after the underlying employer data has been extracted and verified.
View Official Source →