Page 14 - NBIZ October 2020

By Patrick Jankowski

THE ECONOMY

AT A GLANCE

HOUSTON

SIX MONTHS IN

eptember marks half a year since COVID-19
arrived in Houston. In the early stages, the
Spandemic cost Houston more than 365,000
jobs. Only about 110,000 have been recouped to date.
In a “normal” year, Houston might create 60,000 to
70,000 jobs, in a “boom” year, a little over 100,000. A
“boom” is unlikely given the current state of the energy
industry. And no one knows what “normal” will look like
in a post-COVID world. A full recovery may take several
years.
Some industries are already well on the way to recov-
ery. These tend to be sectors where the need for social
distancing doesn’t interfere with their ability to conduct
business. However, industries that require face-to-face in-
teraction continue to struggle and will be among the last
to regain all jobs lost in the pandemic. Glance looks at
each sector, examines the damage from the March-April
shutdown and explores how swiftly they may recover.

14 NBIZ ■ October 2020