Contrary to popular belief, it’s not all bad. The headlines referring to troubles in states such as California, Florida, New York and Nevada are endless, and a testament to a tremendous opportunity here in our area.
Last week the Associated Press highlighted the strengths of the North Texas region, ”The AP Economic Stress Index — a score based on a county’s unemployment, foreclosure and bankruptcy rates — shows that the nation’s 100 fastest-growing counties have, as a whole, fared worse than the national average since the start of the recession.
Yet 42 of those 100 counties are bucking that boom-then-doom trend, including one west of Des Moines, some in northern Virginia and the Texas counties outside Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, according to the AP’s analysis.
The fast-growing areas that have been resilient tend to have large, diversified economies, researchers and business leaders said.”
The New York Post reported on the staggering loss of residents the state is facing, “More than 1.5 million state residents left for other parts of the United States from 2000 to 2008, according to the report from the Empire Center for New York State Policy.” They went on to say, “The center, part of the conservative Manhattan Institute, blames the state’s high cost of living and high taxes.
Adding new, and better, jobs to our area is a vital part of our future success. Now more than ever we will focus on touting our pro-business climate, low-cost of living and diverse economy.
For more information about the Dallas Regional Chamber’s Economic Development initiatives please visit www.dallaschamber.org
