For the June 5, 2025 Business Network Breakfast, Craig Rhode, with Greater Houston Partnership, spoke about the economic forecast for our area.
Rhodes, who is the Senior Vice President of Regional Economic Development, outlined the history of the organization which now 800 member organization. He presented a number of data points about the 12-county Greater Houston area, including population growth due to new residents from other states and nations. See the slide presentation here. He stated that 1 in 16 Americans live within the “Texas Triangle” of Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.
Jobs and employment have seen steady growth, and has bounced back since COVID, with 283,000 jobs added since the pandemic. The jobs market has diversified over time, with medical and health sciences in the top spot, and a growing manufacturing sector.
Why is Houston attractive to business? The low cost of living, the diversity and talent of the workforce, our central location between coasts and speed to market, as well as global access through the Port of Houston and our two international airports. Tech projects range from Foxconn assembling Apple products to Tesla’s battery energy storage systems assembly plant to aerospace projects centered on NASA and the Spaceport. Currently, there are about 170 new projects that are in the pipeline. GHP predicts 71,200 new jobs in 2025.
The effects of tariffs on business and on new projects is still unknown – significant impacts are expected on trade and the port, while new manufacturing facilities are being planned and built in the Greater Houston area and the state. Houston’s airports are seeing high traffic, and the City is making investments to keep up with that growth. The energy infrastructure is getting better, with CenterPoint Energy and Entergy completing two years of work in just one year.
Watch the Business Network Breakfast Recap Below:
