Job Creation, Unemployment and the Texas Miracle
The latest jobs numbers have propelled talk of a “Texas miracle” as Gov. Rick Perry continues to consider a run for the presidency. But Texas’ unemployment rate is higher than that of all four states bordering it — and it’s up slightly from last year. So why does everyone keep touting Texas, and Perry in particular, for its strong economy?
The short answer: job creation.
According to data released this month by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, Texas gained more jobs in June 2011, 32,000, and more jobs this year, 220,000, than any other state in the ...
Comments (20)
Robert Hanifen
I'm gonna ignore the intimation that job growth is separate and distinct from population growth - it's "Texas" so apparently we pretend the lessons of the Baby Boom generation just don't apply. I'll also ignore the intimation that job transfers/looting are the same as job creation. And the intimation that the Technology Fund is something more than a political slush fund that should be unnecessary if the business climate is so great.
Whoo, that's a lot, but carrying on. The more important question here in this high stakes game of shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic is how does Rick Perry propose to take his India of the US model to the other 49 States, which don't have demographics at play? Claiming States rights can only get you so far.
PeggyV
Robert needs a lesson in economics. He just doesn't get it, but then neither does our POTUS.
Jobs are created when busnesses have some certainty in taxation and in regulation. The pie gets bigger when there is predictability and taxes are lower. It is wrong to assume that the pie is one size, and we are simply determining the size of the slice which Texas takes. Not so. The pie is larger the more investments are made. We need an environemnt where more people invest and are willing to take risks.
The size of the pie grows when more investment are made, jobs created, people employed, providing prosperity for more workers who then purchase goods and services which in turn creates more jobs.
Texas is less a miracle than an example which other states and the federal government could follow.
Texas Trib - this story is balanced and well researched. Thanks for the analysis!
Richard Stewart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Angelos Angelou, are you living in a dream , or did the others do that bad ? Did he pay you to say that , or are you truly that DUMB !?
Karen Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
ROTFL.
Robert Adams via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Texas has been a staging point for companies making the move to Mexico. In other words your job loss in Ohio, is a temporary gain in Texas as the plant, and tranportation, and logistic are set up for the plant in Mexico. After all that is set up the jobs that have been set up in Texas move to the final destination in Mexico.
Erica Bozovich Hart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
yep I'm betting her got paid a substancial sum to say that SMH
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Apparently a significant portion of those jobs created since 2000 were government jobs too, which Perry touts as being eeeeeeeeevil.
David Huang via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Apparently a significant portion of those jobs created since 2000 were government jobs too. Which makes sense, since if the private sector grows, people move in and you need more social services and public sector jobs and such. But Perry still touts those as eeeeeeeevil for some reason, idk.
Jim Bigham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The Texas Miracle is a myth. Under Governor Perry's watch (2001-present) manufacturing employment has declined from 1.04 million to 800K jobs a loss of 227K high(er) wage, "good" jobs. At the same time government employment climbed by 287K to 1.89 million jobs.
Erica Bozovich Hart via Texas Tribune on Facebook
*he
Jim Bigham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That would be 43rd in the nation in manufacturing job gains (loss in our case) and NUMBER ONE in government job growth. Smoke and mirrors folks. Smoke and mirrors.
Karen Hawkins via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Jim do you have a source I could quote?
Jim Bigham via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Karen,
http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2011/05/government-gets-bigger-in-43-states.html
With other links on the same page...
J J Baskin via Texas Tribune on Facebook
In unrelated news, Angelos Angelou will soon be named a senior campaign advisor on economics by an unannounced president candidate who will do more for him than six previous presidential candidates.
Sharon Holmes Lea via Texas Tribune on Facebook
You are all so negative, what are YOU doing besides whining and putting jabs out at our Governor Rick Perry!! SHUT UP OR DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!
gregrohloff
More telling about the "economic miracle" is a Bureau of Labor Statistics Report in March that shows the number of Texans earning minimum wage or less rose in the past year by 76,000 people. To read more, here's a link.
http://amaindy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2277:perry-signs-ceremonial-budget-bills-calls-for-a-federal-balanced-budget-amendment&catid=47:local&Itemid=83
Brandelyn Wiser via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't count a job in which there are no health benefits and/or you are working min wage as a REAL JOB that is going to HELP us out of poverty. Not with gas prices, inflation, food prices, etc being as high as they are.
Center for Public Policy Priorities via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well-said, Brandelyn. If people want the nation to look like Texas, they're saying they want to be poor and have less health care.
Wallis Parnelle
History shows when there is more regulation against the wealthy, higher taxes on the wealthy, the pay separation is lower and the economy is better for the masses, thus for the country. Any notion that lower wealthy taxes, and less regulation is just an attempt to manipulate the truth. Recent history, if you are able, of remember back 10 years, is the marker of truth for this statement of higher wealthy taxes, and keeping a thumb on corrupt business practice, and ideolgy is a healthier country overall. The constant thumping of no taxes for the wealthy and no regulation, is becoming boring. HoHum. ZZZZZZZZZ
Rudy Gonzales
Perry in not for pro-growth, he's for enriching his buddies and close friends! This Yahoo continues to morph into what he thinks people want to see, hear and read as he now seeks the backing of the TEA party elitist. With no degree in Economics or Sciences, he spews manufactured lies as though he is knowledgeable. Perry's use of the Texas Enterprise Fund and the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, development programs that offer capital for entrepreneurs with the goal of luring job-rich businesses to the state, to Perry's personal advantage. Face it - It's open season on Rick Perry and the failing TEA party as they are on the national scene now and they're in for a rude awakening! But let's not forget Politics is at the local level and that is where the TEA party activist are prolific! Perry is not a job making machine. The jobs he claims to be responsible for, are the federal jobs created. A liar and pseudo head, America needs to investigate him thoroughly and still not vote for him as he professes to TEA party loyalist and openly courts their backing. TEA party-ers have already corrupted and de-bunked the GOP, the defunct GOP are steering away from their radical narrow-minded rhetoric. Perry condemned President Obama’s stimulus and bailout package, he actively courted these funds, plugging the $6 billion hole in his previous budget almost entirely with stimulus money. Perry’s problems extend beyond his mediocre fiscal performance. He also has a crony-capitalism problem. Grants from two funds he created, ostensibly to seed tech startups and lure companies, found their way into the pockets of his campaign contributors. This won’t go down well with voters weary of government waste and abuse, especially since Perry had final authority over the funds, and not an independent agency as is usually the case. Worse, Perry refused to axe these programs even to plug the deficit. Perry’s constant jousting his strong jobs record has been lying to the Texas voters and not the nation'a voters.