Highlighting the dynamic economy of Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico
August 19, 2026
Kaes Van’t Hof, chief executive officer of Diamondback Energy, the largest publicly traded independent energy producer in the Permian Basin, discusses oilfield efficiencies and the industry outlook.
August 17, 2026
Laila Assanie and Robert Leigh
The Texas economy strengthened in the second quarter, with job growth accelerating and business activity expanding. A pickup in temporary hiring is a positive signal for Texas’ labor market.
July 31, 2026
Bill King, a fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute who follows demographic trends, believes Houston’s sustained, rapid growth may be over. He discusses how the metro area may want to consider a future where new residents no longer strain public services.
June 26, 2026
Christa Deneault, Isabel Dhillon and Dylan Council
In recent years, surveys have suggested that young Americans are increasingly skeptical about the value of a college education. Perceptions that a college education doesn’t offer the gateway that it once did raise an important question for lawmakers and educators: Are these changing attitudes translating into fewer students enrolling in college or completing degrees?
June 5, 2026
Robert Leigh, Jesse Thompson and Luis Torres
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.
May 22, 2026
Isabel Brizuela and Ethan Dixon
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.
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Southwest Economy
Southwest Economy is published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas or the Federal Reserve System.
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