Elon is tweeting about Austin again. Cue the recent boosters vs old heads showdown in the comments. But if you can look past that, Austin is on a truly remarkable run. A "bad" year in Austin? Just about 3% real growth. 🤯
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Elon is tweeting about Austin again. Cue the recent boosters vs old heads showdown in the comments. But if you can look past that, Austin is on a truly remarkable run. A "bad" year in Austin? Just about 3% real growth. 🤯
It is Election Day. I used to write the occasional piece on election results, usually with an economic development spin. While the linked post is no longer up, this is still my proudest moment.
November 4, 2025 at 9:52 PM
It is Election Day. I used to write the occasional piece on election results, usually with an economic development spin. While the linked post is no longer up, this is still my proudest moment.
November 1, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Few things warm my heart like a well-run open data portal. 54% of Texas cities reported taxable sales growth YoY thru 2025Q2, per new data from the Texas Comptroller. Fastest growing cities (min. $500M):
October 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Few things warm my heart like a well-run open data portal. 54% of Texas cities reported taxable sales growth YoY thru 2025Q2, per new data from the Texas Comptroller. Fastest growing cities (min. $500M):
Not exactly 47 is the new 27 but not bad either. Still among my favorites.
October 14, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Not exactly 47 is the new 27 but not bad either. Still among my favorites.
August jobs report for metros is out today from BLS, and South Carolina continues to feature prominently among the top performers.
October 1, 2025 at 9:55 PM
August jobs report for metros is out today from BLS, and South Carolina continues to feature prominently among the top performers.
Also, check out South Carolina. Doubling up growth rates is one thing, adding more net new jobs than much larger states, including nearly as many as California, is quite another.
August 27, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Also, check out South Carolina. Doubling up growth rates is one thing, adding more net new jobs than much larger states, including nearly as many as California, is quite another.
📣 July jobs report for metros out today from BLS 📊
Here's my usual rundown of fastest growing metros, plus final list for June based on revised estimates.
Here's my usual rundown of fastest growing metros, plus final list for June based on revised estimates.
August 27, 2025 at 9:47 PM
📣 July jobs report for metros out today from BLS 📊
Here's my usual rundown of fastest growing metros, plus final list for June based on revised estimates.
Here's my usual rundown of fastest growing metros, plus final list for June based on revised estimates.
Obligatory post-conference session photo post. Enjoyed talking about some of my favorite places I'm tracking in my state of the economy presentation at the Southern Economic Development Council conference in Oklahoma City. Amazing activity across the SEDC region.
August 15, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Obligatory post-conference session photo post. Enjoyed talking about some of my favorite places I'm tracking in my state of the economy presentation at the Southern Economic Development Council conference in Oklahoma City. Amazing activity across the SEDC region.
Top five list for my upcoming talk at the Southern Economic Development Council annual conference in OKC:
July 29, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Top five list for my upcoming talk at the Southern Economic Development Council annual conference in OKC:
I'll have some refreshed rankings of local economies in the US South ready next month for this talk at SEDC. Looking forward to sharing them. Thanks to SEDC for inviting me back to do the numbers again. Conference link here if you're interested: www.sedc.org/events/2025-...
July 11, 2025 at 4:08 PM
I'll have some refreshed rankings of local economies in the US South ready next month for this talk at SEDC. Looking forward to sharing them. Thanks to SEDC for inviting me back to do the numbers again. Conference link here if you're interested: www.sedc.org/events/2025-...
📈 Manufacturing employment was up in May, year-over-year, in more than one-third of U.S. metros, including 14 metros gaining 1,000 or more jobs and 33 metros gaining 500 or more, according to BLS.
July 3, 2025 at 6:13 PM
📈 Manufacturing employment was up in May, year-over-year, in more than one-third of U.S. metros, including 14 metros gaining 1,000 or more jobs and 33 metros gaining 500 or more, according to BLS.
May jobs report for US metros is out today from BLS. Here's a chart showing the fastest growing metro by state. #econsky www.datawrapper.de/_/isEPA/
July 2, 2025 at 4:12 PM
May jobs report for US metros is out today from BLS. Here's a chart showing the fastest growing metro by state. #econsky www.datawrapper.de/_/isEPA/
Tough way to go down. Why not quiz them on the city charter?
July 1, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Tough way to go down. Why not quiz them on the city charter?
Taxable sales growth in Texas metros and larger cities and counties in 2024:
June 19, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Taxable sales growth in Texas metros and larger cities and counties in 2024:
“We’re nobody’s damn suburb.”
A former mayor of Arlington had strong feelings about it, as do many economic developers working on behalf of communities that are less populated than the largest city in their metro areas.
So, what is a suburb?
A former mayor of Arlington had strong feelings about it, as do many economic developers working on behalf of communities that are less populated than the largest city in their metro areas.
So, what is a suburb?
June 13, 2025 at 4:06 PM
“We’re nobody’s damn suburb.”
A former mayor of Arlington had strong feelings about it, as do many economic developers working on behalf of communities that are less populated than the largest city in their metro areas.
So, what is a suburb?
A former mayor of Arlington had strong feelings about it, as do many economic developers working on behalf of communities that are less populated than the largest city in their metro areas.
So, what is a suburb?
How much of the tech workforce is (very) early career? A comparison of U.S. tech hubs: www.datawrapper.de/_/yRSXA/
June 2, 2025 at 9:12 PM
How much of the tech workforce is (very) early career? A comparison of U.S. tech hubs: www.datawrapper.de/_/yRSXA/
Good month for Ohio per April jobs report for U.S. metros out this morning from BLS. Columbus & Cincinnati both made the top ten.
May 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Good month for Ohio per April jobs report for U.S. metros out this morning from BLS. Columbus & Cincinnati both made the top ten.
The decline of early-career tech employment in large U.S. tech markets, a follow-up to the SignalFire report:
May 22, 2025 at 6:51 PM
The decline of early-career tech employment in large U.S. tech markets, a follow-up to the SignalFire report:
I once considered myself a big-dog type of person. Life sneaks up on you.
May 11, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I once considered myself a big-dog type of person. Life sneaks up on you.
Mind-boggling concentrations of jobs in Laredo in NAICS industries 488510 and 541614, where most customs brokerages seem to be classified.
May 10, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Mind-boggling concentrations of jobs in Laredo in NAICS industries 488510 and 541614, where most customs brokerages seem to be classified.
While it may not be a lot of jobs compared to other industries, you are an important piece of many local economies, including places like:
🧸 Medford, Oregon
🧸 Boulder, Colorado
🧸 Los Angeles, California
Where jobs are highly concentrated compared to the U.S. average (see tables).
🧸 Medford, Oregon
🧸 Boulder, Colorado
🧸 Los Angeles, California
Where jobs are highly concentrated compared to the U.S. average (see tables).
May 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
While it may not be a lot of jobs compared to other industries, you are an important piece of many local economies, including places like:
🧸 Medford, Oregon
🧸 Boulder, Colorado
🧸 Los Angeles, California
Where jobs are highly concentrated compared to the U.S. average (see tables).
🧸 Medford, Oregon
🧸 Boulder, Colorado
🧸 Los Angeles, California
Where jobs are highly concentrated compared to the U.S. average (see tables).
It's National Small Business Week, and I'd like to give a shout-out to the 941 doll, toy, and game manufacturing businesses in the U.S. employing nearly 11,000 people and paying $282 million in wages in 2024Q3. #SmallBusinessWeek
May 7, 2025 at 3:07 PM
It's National Small Business Week, and I'd like to give a shout-out to the 941 doll, toy, and game manufacturing businesses in the U.S. employing nearly 11,000 people and paying $282 million in wages in 2024Q3. #SmallBusinessWeek
Are economic developers public servants?
I used to teach a class on economic development at UT-Austin--shout-out to @timbartik.bsky.social for his work's contribution to the syllabus--I would pose that question to students and always enjoyed the discussion.
I used to teach a class on economic development at UT-Austin--shout-out to @timbartik.bsky.social for his work's contribution to the syllabus--I would pose that question to students and always enjoyed the discussion.
May 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Are economic developers public servants?
I used to teach a class on economic development at UT-Austin--shout-out to @timbartik.bsky.social for his work's contribution to the syllabus--I would pose that question to students and always enjoyed the discussion.
I used to teach a class on economic development at UT-Austin--shout-out to @timbartik.bsky.social for his work's contribution to the syllabus--I would pose that question to students and always enjoyed the discussion.
Looking in on the March jobs report for the Rio Grande Valley:
According to new estimates from BLS this week, Brownsville had a nice streak going over its neighbor, exceeding the job growth rate in McAllen for 5 consecutive months.
Seems they'll need to start a new streak.
According to new estimates from BLS this week, Brownsville had a nice streak going over its neighbor, exceeding the job growth rate in McAllen for 5 consecutive months.
Seems they'll need to start a new streak.
May 3, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Looking in on the March jobs report for the Rio Grande Valley:
According to new estimates from BLS this week, Brownsville had a nice streak going over its neighbor, exceeding the job growth rate in McAllen for 5 consecutive months.
Seems they'll need to start a new streak.
According to new estimates from BLS this week, Brownsville had a nice streak going over its neighbor, exceeding the job growth rate in McAllen for 5 consecutive months.
Seems they'll need to start a new streak.