First Quarter 2022
Complete issue

• Looking Back: Shale Oil Boom Gave Permian Basin a Second Life
  Jesse Thompson
  We look back a decade ago as Southwest Economy told of the rebirth of the Permian Basin as part of the shale oil boom in "Permian Basin Booms as New Techniques Resurrect Old Sites.”
• Students Cut College During Pandemic; Their Return Is Uncertain
  Wenhua Di and Mytiah Caldwell
  Postsecondary institutions suddenly closed their doors with the arrival of COVID-19 in March 2020. Two years later, the impacts are coming into focus.
• Turbulent Economy Tests Texans Who Lack Financial Knowledge
  Emma Marshall, Pia Orrenius and Michael Weiss
  Texans continue to trail the nation in financial literacy as measured by the National Financial Capability Study. The Legislature has taken steps to enhance personal finance instruction in a bid to improve performance.
• Cross-Border Manufacturing Rises from Pandemic Lows
  On the Record: A Conversation with Fabiola Luna
  Fabiola Luna, president of the Association of Maquiladoras, Index Ciudad Juárez, dicusses cross-border trade and the impact of the pandemic.
• Spotlight: New Mexico Marijuana Legalization’s Costs, Benefits Remain Unclear
  Keighton Hines and Pia Orrenius
  New Mexico legalized recreational marijuana use last year, joining 17 other states. Anticipated benefits and costs partially offset one another, but there is considerable uncertainty around both.
• Around the Region: Texas Reclaims Jobs Lost in Pandemic; Some Metros Still Trying to Catch Up
  Juliette Coia and Pia Orrenius.
  The recovery from the pandemic recession ushered in a massive reallocation of employment between industries with repercussions for different areas of the state.