I'm sure there are some smaller plants and factories in that area, but they're mostly hubbed on or around the ship channel for logistic reasons.
Why don't you become OTR (over the road) truck driver? That's the best blue-collar job with not many required qualifications. It's a high demand job, only need a h.s. diploma, and you can take in around ~30K first year depending on the company. Give it a try.
Anybody know of anything entry level or in mortgage? I've been looking for a job for a while now, and Craigslist/LinkedIn haven't netted much success. Seems to me that the best way to get a job is to know somebody.