Cross Creek Ranch - Institute for Regional Forecasting: Houston jobs, people to grow by 2.5% a year

Houston will grow by 3.7 million people and 1.5 million jobs in the next 25 years, according to the Institute for Regional Forecasting's annual long-term forecast for the eight county Houston Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Barton Smith, professor of economics and director of the institute, said, "While economic growth has recently been stunted by the national and global recessions, Houston will continue to expand over the long term." The area currently has 5.1 million people and 2.5 million jobs. The institute predicts that to increase to 7.4 million and 3.2 million, respectively, by 2020 at a growth rate of 2.5 percent a year.

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