The Woodlands area added more than 2,300 new jobs from 2014 to 2015, according to an annual employee count survey. The total number of individuals employed by major, non-retail companies stands at more than 30,000, according to The Woodlands Area Economic Development Partnership.
From January 2014 to January 2015, the number of new jobs rose 2,315. The upswing in a five-year period from January 2010 to January 2015 is nearly 7,500 jobs and 19 companies.
“This information benefits not only local companies, but it is also the most requested data from employers who are considering relocating to this area, EDP CEO Gil Staley said. “Currently there are 65 companies in The Woodlands area who employ more than 100 people. Three of our major employers are Fortune 500 headquarters.”
The EDP reported that the significant contributors to job growth were Anadarko Petroleum Corp. and CB&I. In 2010, Anadarko Petroleum employed 2,532 people and CB&I employed 380. In 2015, Anadarko employed 3,920 and CB&I employed 911, a growth difference of 55 and 140 percent, respectively.
The latest workforce numbers are not available until January 2016, Staley said.
“While we cannot confirm with definitive employee numbers, it is safe to assume that the downturn in oil prices has the ability to affect local workforce numbers," he said. "At this point in time, energy is still our leading sector and we feel it will continue to be a major part of our employee base. With the growth of our local hospitals and two more in the pipeline, we can see our number two sector, healthcare, closing the gap with energy."
The new workforce numbers will be released at The Woodlands Chamber's Economic Outlook Conference, Feb. 26.