Beacon Employment Report Texas – Industry Overview

Most of the job gains in March occurred in some of the industries that have been hit hardest by the pandemic, although employment levels in these sectors remain depressed compared to their pre-pandemic levels.

• Job growth was led by the Mining, Logging, and Construction sector, where payrolls increased by 24,600 in March, although gains in the sector were driven by a recovery of jobs lost during February’s storms. There are still 85,400 fewer jobs in the industry compared to pre-pandemic levels. Other bright spots include the Leisure and Hospitality sector, which added 23,100 jobs in March, as well as the Construction sector, which added 19,100 jobs.
• Professional and Business Services (+14,800), Education and Health Services (+10,600), and the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities sector (+10,300) also saw notable gains during the month.
• Some sectors saw declines in March, with the sharpest private-sector losses taking place in Wholesale Trade (-1,300). The Government (-7,600) and Local Government (-8,200) also noted significant drops in employment.
• As of March 2021, many sectors are experiencing significant job deficits compared to pre-pandemic levels, with Mining and Logging (-20.9%); Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (-20.7%); and Leisure and Hospitality (-12.8%) still far short of pre-pandemic levels. On the other end, Transportation, Warehousing, and Utilities reports the largest percentage increase over the past year (+6.9%), with Finance and Insurance (+2.2%) and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (+0.9%) following close behind.