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Saturday, January 17, 2026 • Vol. 71 • No. 3
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GHP highlights regional economic forecast for 2026 STAFF REPORTS Editor’s note: In its “Economy at a Glance” report for January, the Greater Houston Partnership – the regional chamber of commerce – highlights its 2026 employment forecast for metro Houston. This article first appeared in The Leader’s sister paper, the Fort Bend Star.
U.S. Employment
The U.S. labor market has slowed down from the dramatic pace of growth experienced in the immediate pandemic rebound. Between 2021 and 2023, the U.S. added an average of roughly
4.7 million workers each year as the economy went into overdrive to recover lost jobs. By 2024, the job growth rate came back to earth with a more typical 2.1 million jobs added during the year. In 2025, job growth slowed even further, falling below the pre-pandemic trend with just 1.3 million jobs added as the labor market encountered new headwinds. Macroeconomic conditions shifted early in the year, with greater business uncertainty on issues like trade policy, interest rates, and the growing prominence of new A.I. technologies. Many businesses responded to this unfamiliar landscape by pulling back on expansion
and hiring, choosing instead to emphasize cost discipline and improving the productivity of existing workers. As a result of these shifts, monthly U.S. job openings fell from 7.7 million to 7.2 million between January and August, while layoffs held steady at about 1.7 million over the same period. In other words, the job market slowdown simply reflects less hiring and not more firing. This is different from a recessionary pattern: the labor market is still expanding, just modestly, with employers pulling back on new hiring while holding on to the workers they already employ. Even as terminations remain low, the U.S. unemployment rate has ticked up
from an average of 4.0 percent in 2024 to 4.2 percent in 2025 as new job seekers enter a workforce with fewer available openings. The U.S. unemployment rate overall averaged at 6.2 percent in the decade before the pandemic – the lower rates of around 4.0 percent during the past few years are unusual over the longer course of U.S. history. So, while national unemployment rates have ticked up slightly in 2025, they remain below long-term norms. The conditions that led to a slower job market are unlikely to fade quickly. Job growth should remain positive but See GHP P. 2
Unified MLK MALALA WILL BE BACK Parade, service
Defacement Won’t Stop events highlight Luther Her Story: Malala mural to Martin King Jr. Day in be restored once more Houston
Voters can now apply for Annual Ballot by Mail
By Betsy Denson The Leader Contributor
By JUHI VARMA The Leader News Contributor
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On Oct. 9, 2012, a Taliban gunman boarded a school bus in Pakistan and shot 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai in the head, attempting to silence her advocacy for girls’ education. She survived and became the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate in history at age 17. Yousafzai went on to cofound the Malala Fund to champion girls’ education worldwide and earn her degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Oxford University. That’s why it is so galling to many in the community that a mini mural honoring Yousafzai at Ella and TC Jester in the Heights has been vandalized, with her portrait deliberately painted over. It’s not the first time. The mural, created by Houston artist and former art teacher Jessica Padilla in February 2019, has been defaced two times previously, a pattern that Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin says reflects a troubling trend of targeting public art that celebrates women in leadership. “We’ve had several instances of murals being intentionally defaced and vandalized,” Kamin said. “This is distinct from, and more troubling than, simple graffiti.” While Kamin learned about the recent Malala defacement through social media tags, she discovered another vandalized mural firsthand in 2025. A mini mural in front of Hamilton Middle School, honoring female U.S. Supreme Court justices, had the justices’ faces painted over. Padilla restored that mural as well. “Fortunately, it was such a small amount of work to fix that it was no trouble,” Padilla said. Kamin is coordinating with Padilla and UP Art Studio, which runs the city’s award-winning Mini Murals program, to complete the restoration. Because of instances like these, Kamin has added a
Residents can celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a variety of events this weekend and on Monday. The slain civil rights leader was born on January 15, 1929, but the federal holiday is observed nationally on the third Monday in January with parades, ceremonies, and community events. One highlight is the Unified Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in downtown Houston. The event features community groups, marching bands, floats, faith leaders, and civic organizations. It begins at 10 a.m. and is free and open to the public. Additionally, YMCAs throughout the Greater Houston Area will host service events to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
Registration opens for Eat Drink HTX
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Comings & Goings: See who left, and who’s new in the area
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Save the Date: Here’s what’s happening around town
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Black Heritage Society’s MLK Podcast & Comedy Jam
The MLK Podcast & Comedy Jam kicks off MLK weekend at The Collective Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of laughter, empowerment and community connection with comedian Dave Organizers say the night is designed to bring friends and families together for a celebration of culture, entertainment, and Houston flavor. Food trucks and vendors will be on site. When: Friday, January 16, 6:30 p.m. Where: The Community Collective Center, 12401 South Post Oak Rd., Houston Tickets: $40 in advance, day of event cost is $50
Facebook photo
An earlier view of the Malala Yousafzai mini mural at Ella and TC Jester shows the original portrait painted by Houston artist Jessica Padilla before it was defaced.
3-year abatement clause to newer mural contracts that covers repainting costs. The Malala mural predates that clause, so Kamin’s office is covering the restoration costs. “The intentional defacement of neighborhood-driven art that reflects the diverse tapestry of our communities, and, in this case, lifts up extraordinary women who have shattered glass ceilings, is very concerning and See MALALA P. 2
30th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration at Children’s Museum
Photo by Betsy Denson
The front panel of the Malala Yousafzai mural is seen after the portrait was deliberately defaced and painted over—its third known instance of vandalism since 2019.
Every year, the Children’s Museum Houston honors Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy with interactive activities, crafts and story sessions. There will be live music and spoken word poetry. Attendees can look forward to performances by Dr. Kiana Williams, including “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” “A Change See MLK P. 3
New Heights pizza spot shreds the gap between kid-friendly pies and grown-up cravings Pet of the Week: Meet adoptable Wonton
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By STEFANIE THOMAS editor@theleadernews.com A new delivery-focused, familyfriendly pizza shop is headed to Airline Drive this month, promising a middle ground between kid-approved pies and the higher-quality options parents crave. Shredders Pizza, opening in late January 2026 at 1777 Airline Drive, is the latest project from hospitality veterans Jason Kerr and Benjy Mason—friends and collaborators who met nearly 15 years ago in
the kitchen at Down House. The concept was born out of a dilemma familiar to many parents: pizza happens a lot, but the choices aren’t always ideal. “When I became a parent, I was shocked by how often I found myself ordering pizza,” Mason said. “It feels like Houston’s pizza scene is divided between the chains I prefer to avoid and the artisanal spots that are awesome, but not for my 10-year-old. We wanted something in the middle.” Kerr had been experimenting with weekly pizza nights at his Jersey Village
restaurant Little Kitchen when Mason suggested turning the idea into a permanent concept in the Heights. Their answer is Shredders—a shop built for convenience, speed and reliability, but still committed to quality ingredients.
mented 24–36 hours, and baked on stone inside a Baker’s Pride gas oven for a thin crust with crunch and char. Toppings lean classic but thoughtful, with Grande Mozzarella from Wisconsin and a bright uncooked sauce made from California tomatoes. Cheese Nostalgic NY-Style Pies, and Pepperoni anchor the menu, while Made With Care cheffier options include Sausage and Shredders centers on what Kerr de- Pepa (Italian sausage, green peppers, scribes as a “nostalgic New York–style” pickled tear-drop peppers), Jason the pizza. The dough is mixed in-house Dragon (hot honey, arugula, whipped using King Arthur flour and Barton See PIZZA P. 2 Springs Mill whole wheat flour, fer-
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