Dallas led the top 10 markets in U.S. employment last year after adding 101,000 positions and was the only one to top six figures in job creation, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Plano and Irving were included in the Dallas metro division. The Los Angeles area ranked second in jobs added, with 95,800. In the Philadelphia metro area, the number of jobs created was 81,100, followed by Boston, which recorded 77,900 positions. Atlanta was fifth, adding 72,000 jobs.
In the bottom five metro markets, Houston posted 70,100 jobs. New York added 61,300 jobs, and Miami posted 50,600 positions. In Las Vegas, 45,800 positions were created, and Phoenix added 42,500 jobs.
Statewide, the employment growth rate outpaced the country, posting 2.7% annual growth from December 2022 to December 2023. That compares to 1.7% for the United States. In Texas, seven of 11 major industries recorded series highs, with transportation, utilities, and trade experiencing “significant growth,” adding 7,100 jobs. In private education, health services, and leisure and hospitality, 6,800 jobs were added, according to the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC).
“This continued growth shows that job seekers are taking advantage of career opportunities in the Lone Star State,” TWC Commissioner Alberto Trevino III said in a news release. “TWC has the resources, services, and training to upskill job seekers and meet the demands of Texas employers.”
According to the RealPage report, the total number of jobs added for the top 10 markets was down 22,300 from the previous month.
However, the average employment percentage gain for the top 10 markets averaged 4.1% in December, the same as in November.
