GHP Forecasts 30,900 New Jobs in 2026
Houston hiring is slowing from its recent pace, but health care, construction and public education are still adding thousands of jobs.
Chart: Price Per Door, from Greater Houston Partnership data.
- 30,900 jobs forecast for 2026, vs. a recent average of about 50,000 a year
- Health care leads with about 14,000 jobs, 45% of the total
- Construction +6,100, public education +5,800, public administration +5,000
- Losses expected in admin support (-7,500), manufacturing (-3,400) and oil and gas extraction (-3,200)
The Greater Houston Partnership expects the region to add about 30,900 jobs in 2026, according to its annual forecast released in December 2025. That is a noticeable slowdown from the roughly 50,000 jobs a year Houston has averaged recently, but it still means growth.
Health care carries the load
Health care is expected to add about 14,000 jobs, roughly 45% of all growth. Construction follows with about 6,100, then public education with 5,800 and public administration with 5,000.
Where jobs are expected to shrink
Several sectors are forecast to lose jobs: administrative support services (about 7,500), manufacturing (about 3,400), oil and gas extraction (about 3,200) and retail (about 1,800). Energy companies continue to produce more with fewer workers, and global oil markets remain a swing factor.
The risks
The forecast flags rising insurance costs, changes to Medicare and Medicaid, and oil and gas price swings as the main risks. Because health care leads the forecast, federal health policy matters more to Houston’s job picture than it used to.
What it means for apartments
Slower hiring has not slowed apartment demand yet. Population growth, led by international migration, has kept absorption strong. Health care jobs are also spread across the metro, from the Texas Medical Center to suburban hospital campuses, which supports renter demand in many submarkets at once.
Health care jobs are steady and widely spread, which supports renter demand beyond the energy sector.
Medical Center/West University and the suburban hospital corridors in Katy, The Woodlands, Sugar Land and Clear Lake.
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Written by Price Per Door from public reports, filings and data. See all sources