Texas ranked among top job creation states

Affirming its place as one of the top-performing states in the country in the aftermath of the recession, a recent Gallup poll finds that Texas has one of the top job markets in the country.

According to the report, Texas ranked as the eighth-best job market in the country, with a job creation index of 14 - meaning there is a 14 percentage point difference between the number of workers who feel their companies are expanding and those that are contracting.

Texas' rating was double the overall average of 7. Nationwide, 28 percent of respondents said their companies were hiring, while 21 percent said they were contracting.

It's the third consecutive year in the top 10 for Texas. The top state in the country for jobs, according to the report, was North Dakota, which has an unemployment rate of just 3.9 percent, according to the Department of Labor.

Strong jobs numbers have also boosted the Houston real estate market. According to data from the Texas Workforce Commission, businesses in the area added nearly 23,000 jobs last year.