Explore in-depth features about our regional economy.
Hang your hat in Texas: State remains a leader in firm relocations
Recently released data through 2019 show Texas remains a juggernaut, a leader for business relocations. And while figures covering the subsequent pandemic era and beyond are incomplete, anecdotal evidence suggests Texas remains a go-to spot.
Brownsville experiencing greatest growth burst ‘in my lifetime’
Texas National Bank President Joe Quiroga, a lifelong resident of the Lower Rio Grande Valley area and Dallas Fed director, discusses the area’s rapid growth and its future prospects.
WARN layoff notices signal easing Texas labor market
Even with Texas employment growing rapidly and jobless rates remaining low in 2023, mass layoffs may be heading higher, according to notices of pending workforce reductions filed with state officials.
Widening gap between rich and poor poses challenge to U.S.
Economist Jeffrey Fuhrer, a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution and former Boston Fed director of research, discusses the nation’s income and wealth gaps and offers proposals to close them. Fuhrer’s recently published book, “The Myth that Made Us,” explores inequalities in the nation’s economic system.
Fed credibility enhanced when public finds policymakers relatable
University of Chicago Booth School associate professor Michael Weber explains how audiences are especially receptive to monetary policy messaging delivered by Fed officials whose ethnic or gender background is similar to theirs and outlines the broader implications of such enhanced credibility.
New disruption from artificial intelligence exposes high-skilled workers
With workers still grappling with the consequences of automation, the lightning-speed pace of artificial intelligence (AI) development poses fresh concerns of a new wave of worker displacement.
State output remains distinctly Texan, while jobs mix increasingly resembles the U.S.
Lore and data have historically suggested that Texas is unlike any other place. Over the past 40 years, change has swept the state. Texas’ employment composition has increasingly come to resemble the entirety of the U.S., more so than even California or New York. But Texas economic output is another story.
Strong U.S. labor market drives record remittances to Mexico
Remittances from the U.S. to Mexico reached a record $55.9 billion in 2022. Strong employment in the U.S. construction sector—a leading employer of Mexican migrants—best explains the recent growth of remittances to Mexico.
Our surveys deliver real-world insights from business leaders in our region. Their input is a valuable part of economic analysis and monetary policymaking.
Texas economy moderates toward more normal growth in 2024
Texas economic growth remains healthy while gradually reverting to a more historically normal pace of expansion following the pandemic when a bust in the first half of 2020 preceded a subsequent boom.
The Texas Employment Forecast estimates job growth for the calendar year and is calculated as the 12-month change in payroll employment from December to December.
Texas Economic Performance and Outlook, March 2024
The Texas Economic Performance and Outlook provides a timely update on recent changes to the Texas economy based on labor market statistics, survey data and high-frequency indicators across the state’s key industries. Updated monthly.
Transitioning to the postpandemic economy in the Permian Basin
This community listening session explored how families, workers, businesses and communities are navigating the post-pandemic economy in the Permian Basin.
“By spreading production costs across borders and taking advantage of lower labor costs in Mexico, firms can produce at a lower average unit cost, which leads to greater competitiveness in both global and domestic markets and to lower prices for consumers.”
How Does Immigration Fit into the Future of the U.S. Labor Market?
U.S. GDP growth is anticipated to remain sluggish over the next decade, and slow labor force growth is a key underlying reason. This paper argues admitting more immigrants is one way U.S. policymakers can bolster growth.
At the Heart of Texas: Cities’ Industry Clusters Drive Growth
The second edition of this special report is a comprehensive look at the industry clusters, history and demographics shaping 12 of Texas' key metropolitan areas, four of which are new to the report.
Recent research working papers on a variety of topics including the geography of jobs and the gender wage gap as well as the pandemic’s effect on the demand for inner-city living.