A new labor market report from the 91破解版鈥檚 Hobby School of Public Affairs highlights Houstonians鈥� rising concerns about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment. (Credit Getty Images)
Key Takeaways
- 34% of householders report they are currently looking for a job; among those job seekers, 72% are already employed.
- 85.6% of respondents identified rising cost of living as one of their top three economic challenges 鈥� followed by wage stagnation and limited job availability.
- Even employees not directly affected by layoffs are more likely to seek new opportunities due to workplace uncertainty.
A new labor market report from the 91破解版鈥檚 Hobby School of Public Affairs highlights Houstonians鈥� rising concerns about the cost of living, job security and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on employment.
This is the second wave of responses from the Survey on Public Attitudes and Community Engagement City Panel, or 鈥� with the first wave resulting in the Houston Metro Community Survey in August and September. The longitudinal research initiative from the Center for Public Policy tracks the views of about 5,000 Houston-area residents with quarterly surveys.
The survey, recording economic and sustainability issues from respondents across nine counties in the Greater Houston area, showed about one-third of householders are actively looking for a new job, despite 72% of these job seekers being currently employed.
Researchers said the driving force behind this trend is the area鈥檚 rapidly increasing cost of living, which 85.6% of respondents said was among their top three economic challenges. This concern was shared across demographic groups but felt more acutely among Black and Hispanic respondents.
鈥淢ost people are not seeking jobs because they are getting unemployed; I think the explanation is mostly because of the rising cost of living,鈥� said Agustin Vallejo, lead researcher on the report and research assistant professor at the Hobby School. 鈥淭he main reason is the inflation 鈥� they want something better in terms of salary.鈥�
Wage stagnation and limited job availability followed as the other top economic challenges respondents faced. This could be driven by the Houston area seeing rapid population growth that is increasing the demand for housing, said Pablo Pinto, director of the CPP and professor in the Hobby School.
Other major findings of the report include:
- Almost half of Houstonians (48%) fear AI could replace some or all of the activities in their jobs, with lower-educated respondents significantly more likely to believe their job is at risk.
- Workers in companies experiencing layoffs are more likely to seek new roles, even if they haven鈥檛 lost their own jobs 鈥� a reaction researchers attributed to workplace uncertainty.
鈥淏oth employers and employees have something to learn about the use of artificial intelligence. They should always be trying to think, 鈥楬ow can this tool improve my performance?鈥欌��
鈥� Agustin Vallejo, 鈥檚 Hobby School of Public Affairs
In response to the findings, the researchers offer several policy recommendations, including:
- For local governments: Increase support for working families through affordable housing initiatives, childcare assistance, cost-of-living relief and transportation cost reductions.
- For employers: Invest in employee training, particularly on how to adapt to AI tools in the workplace.
- For individuals: Learn about AI capabilities and limitations to better position themselves in a shifting labor market.
鈥淏oth employers and employees have something to learn about the use of artificial intelligence,鈥� Vallejo said. 鈥淭hey should always be trying to think, 鈥楬ow can this tool improve my performance?鈥欌��
The is available on the .
The survey was conducted Aug. 11-Sept. 4. Future reports for this quarter will cover climate and sustainability opinions and household finances.