- Dallas, Houston, and Austin slipped in job gain rankings despite continued growth.
- New York remains the top job creator, though annual gains have declined.
- Smaller markets lead in percentage job growth, especially college towns and tourist hubs.
- Overall job gains are slowing nationally, with 23 markets reporting annual job losses.
Texas Losing Momentum
Texas metros, long dominant in job creation, are showing signs of a slowdown, reports RealPage. Dallas and Houston, typically among the nation’s top markets, fell two spots to #5 and #4, respectively, each adding close to 29K jobs in the 12 months ending May. San Antonio returned to the top 10 at #8, but Austin fell to #12, its first time out of the top 10 since February.
While these numbers still reflect growth, the state’s once rock-solid position in job creation is facing competition from other metros. Dallas-Fort Worth would have ranked #2 or #3 consistently if counted as a single metro.
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National Leaders Shift
New York led the nation in job gains with 76,700 jobs added—though that’s down by 39K compared to the previous 12 months. Philadelphia and Orlando jumped ahead of both Houston and Dallas, while Salt Lake City and Washington, DC followed closely behind. Charlotte slid four spots to #9, with 24,600 new jobs, and Miami held steady at #10.
Job Gains Shrinking
Together, the top 10 job gain markets added 335,200 jobs over the past year—a decline of 18.4% compared to the same markets a year ago. The next 10 markets (#11–#20) posted 173,200 new jobs, a 15.1% drop from last year.
No market has exceeded 100K job gains since January, and only New York added more than 50K in May. Meanwhile, 23 of the top 150 metros saw annual losses, including the Bay Area and several Midwestern cities like St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Kansas City.
Percentage Growth Favors Smaller Markets
Smaller and midsize metros continue to dominate in terms of percentage growth. Myrtle Beach and Charleston led the way again, followed by Fayetteville, AR, and College Station, TX—both posting 3.3% annual job growth.
Other fast growers include Champaign-Urbana, IL; Boise, ID; Huntsville, AL; and Tallahassee, FL. In total, 59 markets exceeded the national annual growth rate of 1.08%, up from 51 last month.
Why It Matters
The shifting rankings underscore a broader cooling in metro-level job creation, especially in previously high-performing markets like Texas. With fewer metros achieving large-scale growth and more reporting losses, local economies may begin to feel pressure—particularly in commercial real estate and workforce planning.
What’s Next
Markets may continue to realign as national employment growth slows. Smaller cities with unique economic drivers—such as universities or tourism—are emerging as top performers, while large metros like Dallas and Houston must adapt to increased competition for job-generating industries.
