Gulf Coast Workforce Board
P.O. Box 22777 • Houston, Texas 77227-2777
MAIN: 713.627.3200 FAX: 713.993.4578
www.wrksolutions.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:

May 22, 2020

Tim Lankford
713-247-9600
timothy@outreachstrategists.com
Michelle Castrow
713.826.6597
michelle.castrow@wrksolutions.com

COVID-19 PANDEMIC “DISATROUS” FOR HOUSTON ECONOMY
312,000 LOST JOBS BIGGEST EVER ONE-MONTH DECLINE ON RECORD
(HOUSTON) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and resulting stay-at-home orders, had a disastrous effect on
Houston’s workforce in April, according to data released by Workforce Solutions Friday morning. Job losses were
reported across all eleven economic sectors that make up the local workforce.
“Not surprisingly, customer-facing industries were the hardest hit,” said Parker Harvey regional economist at Workforce
Solutions. “Leisure and Hospitality, which includes restaurants, bars and hotels, accounted for one out of every three jobs
lost in April.” Harvey pointed out that under normal economic conditions, this industry would have added jobs without
fail, “March and April now serve as the first two exceptions to this trend in our records.”
Not-seasonally adjusted unemployment jumped nearly nine points from March to an all-time record high 14.2 percent.
More than 452,000 Houston-area workers are now unemployed. “There’s no two ways about it, the pandemic has been
disastrous for the local economy,” Harvey said. “The period of seeing big leaps in reported job losses and unemployment
claims is probably behind us, when the trend will start to reverse is not at all certain.”
“Despite the pandemic, Workforce Solutions continues its mission of matching employers with qualified job candidates
across Houston and the Gulf Coast region,” said Michelle Castrow, a manager at the regional public workforce
development agency. She added that some companies are still hiring despite the downturn, “We’re working with our
employer partners daily and posting new job openings to wrksolutions.com/jobsnow.”
“If you are receiving unemployment benefits, we highly recommend registering in www.workintexas.com today to find
new career opportunities and prevent any disruption to your benefits when the requirement to look for work is
reinstated,” Castrow said.

Additional labor market information including the detailed February report can be found at
wrksolutions.com/localstats. The Texas Workforce Commission will release employment data for May on June
20, 2020.
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www.wrksolutions.com 1.888.469.JOBS (5627)
Workforce Solutions is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available
upon request to individuals with disabilities. (Please request reasonable accommodations a minimum
of two business days in advance.) Relay Texas: 1.800.735.2989 (TDD) 1.800.735.2988 (voice) or 711

 Gulf Coast Workforce Board
P.O. Box 22777 • Houston, Texas 77227-2777
MAIN: 713.627.3200 FAX: 713.993.4578
www.wrksolutions.com

ABOUT WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS: Workforce Solutions is dedicated to keeping the Gulf Coast region a great place to do
business, work, and live. Our employer-driven, people-focused approach elevates the economic and human potential of
the region to attract and retain the best employers, afford everyone the dignity of a job, and remain indispensable to the
global economy. As the public workforce system for 13 counties in the Houston-Galveston region, we work in tandem with
the Texas Workforce Commission and the statewide Workforce Solutions network to maintain the state’s largest jobmatch database - WorkInTexas.com.

www.wrksolutions.com 1.888.469.JOBS (5627)
Workforce Solutions is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available
upon request to individuals with disabilities. (Please request reasonable accommodations a minimum
of two business days in advance.) Relay Texas: 1.800.735.2989 (TDD) 1.800.735.2988 (voice) or 711