Texas: The Boom

Texas is in the enviable position of having two of the largest shale fields in north america—the eagle ford and the permian basin—both of which are driving jobs growth. The lone star state, with 8 percent of the U.S. Population, added nearly one-third of the country’s highest paying positions.

Five Areas of Impact:

1. Jobs

The job growth rate from 2009 to 2011:

2. Pay

“For industries paying more than 150% of the average American wage, Texas added 216,000 jobs, compared with 495,000 for the entire rest of the country. In other words, in addition, Texas added 49,000 positions paying between 125% and 150% of the U.S. average, compared with the rest of the country which lost 174,000 jobs in that category.”

3. GDP

Texas, with a GDP of $1.150 billion, is the second largest economy in the U.S. behind California with $1.735 billion.
The 2012 Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that North Dakota had the highest growth rate in the U.S. at 13.4%, but Texas was in second place at 4.8%.

The 2012 Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that North Dakota had the highest growth rate in the U.S. at 13.4%, but Texas was in second place at 4.8%.