Houston's 2007 job growth much higher than thought

The Houston Chronicle reports:

The final tally is in and the Houston economy is growing much faster than anyone realized.

It turns out that the local economy ended 2007 by creating 100,100 new jobs during the year, an increase of 4 percent, according to data released Thursday by the Texas Workforce Commission.

Earlier this year, the agency estimated the Houston area added 59,800 new jobs for the full year, a 2.4 percent increase.

Houston already was one of the top job-creating cities in the United States before the numbers were revised, said Cheryl Abbot, regional economist for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in Dallas.

Of the 12 largest metropolitan areas in the country, Houston was first in job growth in the previously released data. BLS won't release the nationwide revisions until next week, so it's unclear whether Houston's rank will change.

Once each year, the Texas Workforce Commission compares its employment estimates with payroll tax reports from companies to determine the number of people actually employed in the state. The agency's monthly employment reports are only estimates.