(Fort Bend County) - New numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Fort Bend County had the third highest increase in jobs during the first quarter of this year compared to last year among the nation’s largest 334 counties.

The statistics for Fort Bend County show 1,500 jobs were created, an increase of 1.2 percent.

“That shows you Houston suburbs are still strong and Fort Bend County is among the leaders,” said Jeff Wiley, president of the Greater Fort Bend Economic Development Council.

Wiley says a strong belief in public and private partnerships has helped job growth in the county, as well as “aggressive outreach” and tax incentives provided by local cities. “Our objective has been for people to look at us as a better part of the Houston market,” said Wiley.