Southwest Economy, Fourth Quarter 2022

Third Quarter 2022
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• Less-tight labor market helps Texas grow faster than U.S. during pandemic
  Anil Kumar
  Amid widespread reports of worker shortages, Texas' not-so-constricted labor markets have helped the state outpace the nation in job growth.
• Texas economy rides wave of changing technology and diffusion of know-how
  Laila Assanie and Yichen Su
  Data on patents and employment show that Texas is a major center of innovation and high-tech employment.
• H-E-B seeks path during era of consumer wariness, persistently rising costs
  On the record: A conversation with Craig Boyan
  Craig Boyan. president of San Antonio-based grocery chain H-E-B, discusses lingering pandemic challenges and operating in a difficult economic environment.
• Blame costlier natural gas, rising fees for increasing Texas power bills
  Jesse Thompson
  The cost of keeping the lights on in Texas homes has soared this year, as natural gas prices attained highs not seen since 2008.
• Texas metro unemployment rates drop but remain above early 2020 levels
  Ana Pranger and Pia Orrenius
  Unemployment rates across Texas metros have come down quickly since the pandemic recession of 2020, though they remain above preoutbreak levels.
• Go Figure: If Texas were a country …
  Content: Ana Pranger; Design: Justin Chavira and Emily Rogers
  Texas is comparable to entire countries—and so are some of its urban areas.