Harris County, TX jobs, unemployment and layoffs
Independent page. Not from or affiliated with the State of Texas.
Looking for work in Texas? See where you stand.
Not sure you match what employers here are hiring for? Get a free read on your fit, the jobs open near you and a plan for the weeks ahead.
Show me jobs near meHarris County economy
4.6%
unemployment, Sep 2026
4.9% the month before
2,549,337
in the labor force
Source: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
4,758,579
people in Harris County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
$73,104
median household income
Source: Census ACS
39%
of workers in white-collar occupations
Management, business, financial and professional; Census ACS
Where Harris County ranks
Where Harris County placed in our monthly rankings, month by month. Each month stays online at its own address.
November 2026
- #2Best counties for laid-off professionals in the Southwest70 / 100 · of 30
- #8Counties with the most jobs in AI-exposed sectors in the Southwest25% · of 70
- #11Counties with the most job openings per unemployed person in the Southwest4 per 100 · of 32
- #17Best county job markets for job seekers in the Southwest46 / 100 · of 30
- #21Counties where unemployment fell the most in the Southwest−0.3 points · of 55
Harris County outlook: Building
Built from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census figures. It describes the area, not any one employer in it.
- Private-sector jobs up 4.5% from 2022 to 2025
- Population up 6.6% from 2020 to 2025
- Unemployment 4.6%, down 0.3 points from a year ago
- Sectors adding the most jobs: health care (+21,988 jobs), construction (+19,643 jobs)
- Sectors losing the most jobs: real estate (−3,981 jobs), information (−3,322 jobs)
Local job-market news
Recent headlines about layoffs, AI and jobs in Harris County. Each link goes to the publisher.
- Former ABC News Affiliate Anchor Joins Fox Station After Newsroom LayoffsYahoo · Nov 6, 2026
- Goodyear closing chemical plants in Niagara Falls and Houston areaAkron Beacon Journal on MSN · Nov 5, 2026
- Houston among cities least exposed to AI-related job changes, report findsKHOU on MSN · Oct 28, 2026
- Construction, healthcare, energy might insulate Houston’s workforce from AI — for nowThe Business Journals · Oct 28, 2026
- Houston Outpaces the Nation's Employment Rate Despite Company LayoffsNewsRadio 740 KTRH · Oct 21, 2026
- Only 3 Houston companies have reported layoffs since July. Here's why.Houston Chronicle on MSN · Oct 20, 2026
- Houston Community Builds Momentum Behind Anudip Foundation’s AI, Skills, and Jobs MissionINDIA New England News · Oct 19, 2026
- No Servers, No Host, and No Phone Calls: AI Takes Over at a Halal Restaurant in Houston, TexasMuslim Mirror · Oct 18, 2026
Learn and get funded in Harris County
- Which AI skills each kind of job asks for, with the pay premium.
- Your local workforce board and American Job Centers: training vouchers and re-employment help.
- Grants and funding for job seekers, ranked for your state and situation.
- Unemployment benefits by state, if you are between jobs.
Harris County layoffs
22
Layoff notices, last 12 months
2,906
workers named
A floor: states may leave out counts
19
employers
Employers hiring most in Harris County
Employers with the most open professional roles in this county’s cities. The county is taken from each job’s city, so roles with no city are not counted.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise112 open roles
- Axiom Space85 open roles
- HP84 open roles
- ExxonMobil Holdings57 open roles
- Intuitive Machines52 open roles
- Trinzic52 open roles
- Fervo Energy50 open roles
- SLB49 open roles
- Sysco44 open roles
- Confidential40 open roles
Largest employers headquartered in Harris County
- Halliburton20,001–100,000 employees
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise20,001–100,000 employees
- Quanta Services20,001–100,000 employees
- Conocophillips5,001–20,000 employees
- Kinder Morgan5,001–20,000 employees
- LyondellBasell Industries N.V.5,001–20,000 employees
- University of Houston5,001–20,000 employees
Employee counts with a year are published figures (Wikidata). Other sizes are estimates from our company directory, not payroll counts.
Colleges in Harris County
| College | City | Type | Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston | Houston | Public 4-year | 20,000+ |
| University of Houston-Downtown | Houston | Public 4-year | 10,000–19,999 |
| Rice University | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Texas Southern University | Houston | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake | Houston | Public 4-year | 5,000–9,999 |
| Baylor College of Medicine | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| Houston Christian University | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| South Texas College of Law Houston | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | Houston | Public 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| University of St Thomas | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | 1,000–4,999 |
| College of Biblical Studies-Houston | Houston | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| Texas Chiropractic College Foundation Inc | Pasadena | Private non-profit 4-year | Under 1,000 |
| The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center | Houston | Public 4-year | Under 1,000 |
Conferences in Harris County
Industry conferences and trade shows held in Harris County. 30 with dates announced.
- TACRAO Annual Conference
Nov 8 to Nov 11, 2026 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket. Fee schedule is a linked PDF; not stated on the page.
- HBA Annual Conference
Nov 16 to Nov 18, 2026 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket. Pricing not read. HBA also lists a new FIVE Experience in New York, June 15-18, 2027.
- Southern Economic Association Annual Meeting
Nov 21 to Nov 23, 2026 · Houston, TX
Ticket $60 to $355. 2026 pre-registration through Nov 6: member $275 professional / $60 student; non-member $355 / $105; +$50…
- SACSCOC Annual Meeting
Dec 5 to Dec 8, 2026 · Houston, TX
Ticket $725 to $1,225. Member $725 early (before Oct 7), $825 Oct 8-31, $925 late; non-member $1,025/$1,125/$1,225. Saturday…
- Greater Houston Partnership Annual Meeting
Jan 29, 2027 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket. Registration details to come.
- NACWA Winter Conference
Feb 2 to Feb 5, 2027 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket. Prices not on listing page.
- NAPE Summit Week
Feb 3 to Feb 5, 2027 · Houston, TX
Ticket $355 to $1,095. NAPE Experience Plus (conference + expo): $695 preferred to Oct 9, $895 Oct 10-Dec 11, $995 Dec 12-Feb 1,…
- Hydrogen Technology Expo North America
Feb 10 to Feb 11, 2027 · Houston, TX
Free expo, paid sessions. Expo entry free; conference pass prices not listed.
- CX USA Exchange
Feb 24 to Feb 25, 2027 · Houston, TX
By invitation only. Ticket price not published; invitation required.
- AI in Energy Summit
Mar 1 to Mar 4, 2027 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket, price not listed
- CERAWeek
Mar 8 to Mar 12, 2027 · Houston, TX
Ticket $2,250 to $11,000. Executive Conference pass (includes Innovation Agora): $8,500 through Nov 20, 2026; $10,000 Nov 21 to…
- HNBA Corporate Counsel Conference
Mar 10 to Mar 12, 2027 · Houston, TX
Paid ticket. Volunteer bailiffs receive complimentary registration valued at $1,600, which suggests the standard price is near…
Showing 12 of 44 conferences, 30 with dates announced.
Workforce development and job centers
The public workforce board and American Job Centers serving Harris County. They offer free help with job search, training and filing for benefits.
Laid off in Texas? How to file for unemployment in Texas (steps, weekly amount and the appeal deadline).
- Gulf Coast Workforce Development Board
Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, Wharton
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Baytown
Baytown · Comprehensive · 281-837-0079
M-F 8am-5pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Acres Homes
Houston · Comprehensive · 832-856-2885
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - East End
Houston · Comprehensive · 713-228-8848
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Northeast
Houston · Comprehensive
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Northline
Houston · Comprehensive
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Southeast
Houston · Comprehensive · 713-576-2580
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Southwest
Houston · Comprehensive · 281-564-2660
Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Willowbrook
Houston · Comprehensive · 281-807-9462
Monday - Friday, 8:00AM-5:00PM
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast- Cypress Station
Houston · Comprehensive · 281-891-2850
Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast - Humble
Humble · Comprehensive · 281-446-4837
Monday - Friday, 8am-5pm
Cities in Harris County
Other Texas counties
Laid off or looking for work in Harris County?
See what to do first and the jobs open near you.
See your options after a layoffSources: Census Bureau and BLS (county unemployment is not seasonally adjusted); layoff notices from Texas’s published record; job counts from our live job board; IPEDS for colleges; CareerOneStop for workforce boards and job centers. Texas unemployment benefits and severance rules.
Applying and hearing nothing back?
Find out where you stand: your odds, the jobs that fit you and a plan for the week ahead. Free. No résumé needed.
Already a member? Log in
Job seekers in Harris County looking to you for help, or openings you cannot fill?
Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers in Harris County.