Articles from
Southwest Economy providing critical insights on trade, immigration, and other major international issues, along with in-depth analysis of monetary policy challenges affecting the U.S. economy and its deep financial and economic ties with Mexico.
Southwest Economy
Oil prices are up; whither the Texas boom?
Texas tends to report higher employment and output when oil prices sharply increase. But uncertainty regarding the duration of elevated prices could mute such impacts from the price shock following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
June 05, 2026
Southwest Economy
Texas economy shows resilience amid geopolitical uncertainty
The Texas labor market showed signs of increasing momentum in early 2026, with employment growing 1.7 percent during the first quarter after a sluggish 2025.
May 22, 2026
Southwest Economy
Trader remains bullish on cattle despite economic, contagion threats
Leslie Callahan, a co-founder and principal of cattle trading firm Crossroads Cattle, discusses the reasons behind record-high beef prices and challenges facing the industry.
May 20, 2026
Southwest Economy
Ciudad Juarez retools amid job losses
Ciudad Juarez, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, lost nearly one-fifth of its manufacturing jobs over a two-year period. The decline reflects the city’s move into higher value-added, less labor-intensive production of electronics and hardware demanded for the U.S.’s burgeoning data center build-out.
April 08, 2026
Southwest Economy
Texas job growth expected to pick up following flat 2025
Texas economic output grew in 2025 but did so with near-zero job growth. The last time that happened was in 2002–03, when the state emerged from the dot-com bust into an extended jobless recovery.
February 20, 2026
Southwest Economy
Mexican residents favor local retailers over cross-border shopping in Texas
Despite a relatively stable peso-dollar exchange rate that would normally favor shopping in the U.S., Mexican consumers increasingly stay closer to home.
January 16, 2026
Southwest Economy
Texas economy cools as concerns about tariffs, uncertainty persist
The Texas economy appears to be cooling following an upturn during the summer. The TBOS headline indexes of manufacturing production and services revenue weakened in September and October, following a brief late -summer rebound.
November 14, 2025
Southwest Economy
Overflowing U.S. shale gas increasingly streams to Mexico and onto global markets
Huge volumes of imported shale gas from the United States have provided the ample supply for Mexico’s growing energy needs, keeping power prices down for industries and households.
October 31, 2025
Southwest Economy
Texas economy softens amid uncertain outlook
Texas’ overall pace of economic growth is trending lower, with payroll employment declining in June, a marked turn from robust job gains earlier in 2025.
August 11, 2025
Special Report
China remains modest player in U.S.–Mexico trade despite growing scrutiny
Understanding Mexico’s evolving economic linkages with East Asia and China is critical to the future of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA trade accord) and the nearshoring and integration of North American manufacturing supply chains.
July 09, 2025