Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis Summary Profile

T.L.L. Temple Foundation’s

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

JANUARY 2022

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This Economic Opportunity Analysis Summary Profile is the first in a series commissioned by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, which includes the following reports: 1. Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis Summary Profile, 2. Beaumont-Port Arthur Region Economic and Labor Market Profile, 3. Lufkin-Nacogdoches Region Economic and Labor Market Profile, and 4. Texarkana Region Economic and Labor Market Profile.

The four profiles have also been collected into a comprehensive edition, titled “Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis.”

The goals of this work are to strengthen the alignment of and linkages between the talent pipeline and key industry clusters in rural East Texas. Economic and labor market research was provided by Alexander Research and Consulting.

Graphic design was completed by Safflor Design.

All profiles are available for download from the T.L.L. Temple Foundation’s website at www.tlltemple.foundation.

ABOUT THE PROJECT SPONSORS AND CONSULTING TEAM The T.L.L. Temple Foundation works alongside rural communities to build a thriving East Texas and to alleviate poverty, creating access and opportunities for all.

Sylvia Leal Senior Program Officer, Education and Economic Development sylvialeal@tlltemple.foundation Jerry Kenney Program Officer, Education and Economic Opportunity jerrykenney@tlltemple.foundation Alexander Research & Consulting provides insights and support to help organizations amplify their impact. I offer a wide range services - research, analytics, program evaluation, strategic planning, and implementation support – with a specialization in community, economic, and workforce development.

Caroline Alexander Principal caroline@alexanderrc.com Non-credited images used in this report were licensed from Adobe Stock. Icons were licensed from the Noun Project.

Cover image and other Boggy Slough Nature Preserve images used with permission from Jay Brittain. All other images sourced as attributed.

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 ABOUT THE REGION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 THE REGIONAL ECONOMIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Economic Structure & Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Occupational Structure & Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Alignment of Talent Pipelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

ABOUT THIS WORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 KEY CONCEPTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Phot by Dani Maoquinr via

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RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

INTRODUCTION The T.L.L Temple Foundation (the Foundation) has developed a targeted strategy aimed at strengthening the alignment of and linkages between the talent pipeline and key industry clusters in rural East Texas. The goal of this strategy is to advance local economic development and create more and better economic opportunities for residents in the region. A key component of the strategy is increasing the number of students in the region that attain a high-skill, highdemand credential. To this end, the Foundation wishes to better understand the region and its distinct sub-regions, their economies, their labor markets, and their educational infrastructure.

To support this work, the Foundation hired Alexander Research and Consulting to provide economic and labor market research. The economic and labor market profiles provide an in-depth, data-driven view of each of the aforementioned topic areas. This body of work can help inform the work of public officials, economic and workforce development organizations, workforce development entities, community-based organizations, and educational institutions in the region to ultimately create a workforce system that is more dynamic and responsive to the needs of regional employers and an economy that offers more pathways to economic self-sufficiency and familysustaining careers for workers in rural East Texas.

Figure 1. COUNTIES OF EAST TEXAS COUNTY NAME

OTHER

TEXARKANA

LUFKINNACOGDOCHES

BEAUMONTPORT ARTHUR

Hardin, TX Jasper, TX

POPULATION POPULATION POP. CHANGE METROPOLITAN/ (2014) (2019) (2014-2019) MICROPOLITAN AREA 55,510

57,602

WORKFORCE BOARD

4%

Beaumont-Port Arthur

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas

35,424

35,529

0%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Jefferson, TX

252,897

251,565

-1%

Beaumont-Port Arthur

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas

Newton, TX

14,292

13,595

-5%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Orange, TX

83,244

83,396

0%

Beaumont-Port Arthur

Workforce Solutions Southeast Texas

Tyler, TX

21,468

21,672

1%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Angelina, TX

87,567

86,715

-1%

Lufkin

Deep East Texas

Nacogdoches, TX

65,240

65,204

0%

Nacogdoches

Deep East Texas

Sabine, TX

10,428

10,542

1%

n/a

Deep East Texas

San Augustine, TX

8,481

8,237

-3%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Shelby, TX

25,607

25,274

-1%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Bowie, TX

93,268

93,245

0%

Texarkana

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas

Cass, TX Miller, AR Anderson, TX

30,123 43,458 57,829

30,026 43,257 57,735

0% 0% 0%

n/a Texarkana Palestine

Workforce Solutions Northeast Texas Southwest Arkansas East Texas

Cherokee, TX

51,189

52,646

3%

Jacksonville

East Texas

Houston, TX

22,809

22,968

1%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Liberty, TX

78,045

88,219

13%

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land

Workforce Solutions Gulf Coast

Panola, TX

23,750

23,194

-2%

n/a

East Texas

Polk, TX

45,813

51,353

12%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Rusk, TX

53,212

54,406

2%

Longview

East Texas

San Jacinto, TX

27,049

28,859

7%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Trinity, TX

14,298

14,651

2%

n/a

Deep East Texas

Source: US Census Bureau, ARC Research.

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RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

ABOUT THE REGION The Foundation’s service area consists of 22 counties in East Texas and one Arkansas county: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Cass, Cherokee, Hardin, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Panola, Polk, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, and Miller County in Arkansas.

Jacinto, Hardin, Cherokee, Trinity, Rusk, Sabine, Tyler, and Houston all gained population. The counties with the highest population growth were the counties with spillover from the Houston metro area – Liberty, Polk, and San Jacinto.

Figure 2. ECONOMIC REGIONS OF EAST TEXAS

Within this area, there are three distinct economic regions. The economic regions are defined by commuting patterns of workers in the region.

An analysis of where employed residents work reveals clear economic ties between counties. Each county was assigned to the region that was the principal destination for workers in that county. For example, the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange Counties. In Jasper County, more than 26 percent of workers commute to the BeaumontPort Arthur Metro Area for work, while about 4 percent of workers commute to the Lufkin area for work. Thus, Jasper County was assigned to the Beaumont-Port Arthur economic region. In Rusk County, almost 23 percent of workers commute to Longview and more than 8 percent to Tyler. Less than 5 percent of workers commute to Lufkin and Nacogdoches combined. Thus, Rusk County was not assigned to one of the three economic regions in East Texas because it has closer ties to metro areas outside of the Foundation’s service area.

In Figure 2, the map of the region delineates the three sub-regions. Figure 1 provides a list of the counties by sub-region and shows population, population change, metropolitan or micropolitan area, and workforce board service area. Of note is that the populations of each of the economic regions were stable between 2014 and 2019. However, beneath the regional totals, the individual counties experienced varied growth rates. Six of the counties had negative growth rates – these were Angelina, Jefferson, Newton, Panola, San Augustine, and Shelby. This population loss was balanced by population gains in other parts of the regions – Liberty, Polk, San

Sources: Alexander Research & Consulting and T.L.L. Temple Foundation.

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

THE REGIONAL ECONOMIES ECONOMIC STRUCTURE & PERFORMANCE Each economic region is profiled in detail in a separate document. In this section, comparisons between the regions highlight some of the commonalities and some of the key differences in the regional economies.

it is manufacturing; in Lufkin-Nacogdoches, it is education; and in Texarkana, it is government.

Location quotients (LQs) measure the share of local industry employment relative to the nation (See Figure 4). A high location quotient can be an indicator of a potential competitive advantage or regional specialization. Location quotients above 1 indicate that the industry accounts for a larger share of regional employment than the industry does of national employment. LQs above 1.25 are considered to be significantly higher and are highlighted in Figure 4.

The size of the employment base in each of the regions varies widely with Beaumont-Port Arthur the largest and Texarkana the smallest (See Figure 3). In all three economies, healthcare is the largest sector, and the retail sector is one of the top three sectors.

The sector that rounds out the top three sectors in each economy is distinct. In Beaumont-Port Arthur, Figure 3. EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY, 2020 BEAUMONT -POR T AR T H UR

L UF KI N-NACOGDOCH ES

T EX AR KANA

186, 229

78, 545

68, 083

T OT AL J OBS Healthcare

22,614

12%

12,237

16%

10,891

16%

Manufacturing

22,502

12%

8,342

11%

5,581

8%

Retail Trade

22,162

12%

9,177

12%

8,228

12%

Construction

21,092

11%

4,424

6%

3,620

5%

Education

17,698

10%

10,368

13%

6,746

10%

Accommodation and Food Services

15,429

8%

6,548

8%

6,626

10%

Government

13,434

7%

5,424

7%

7,558

11%

Other Services (except Public Administration)

9,851

5%

4,024

5%

3,615

5%

Administrative and Support Services

8,146

4%

3,687

5%

2,974

4%

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

7,929

4%

1,801

2%

1,478

2%

Transportation and Warehousing

6,370

3%

2,004

3%

2,940

4%

Wholesale Trade

5,832

3%

2,123

3%

2,474

4%

Finance and Insurance

4,744

3%

2,650

3%

1,808

3%

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

2,698

1%

731

1%

896

1%

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

1,170

1%

493

1%

528

1%

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

1,089

1%

2,018

3%

759

1%

Information

982

1%

563

1%

314

0%

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction

910

0%

1,028

1%

301

0%

Management of Companies and Enterprises

828

0%

480

1%

427

1%

Utilities

747

0%

420

1%

317

0%

Source: Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed.

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RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

Figure 4. INDUSTRY LOCATION QUOTIENTS, 2020 BEAUMONT -POR T AR T H UR

L UF KI N-NACOGDOCH ES

T EX AR KANA

Construction

1. 97

0.98

0.92

Manufacturing

1. 55

1. 36

1.05

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

1. 32

3. 53

1.19

Retail Trade

1.22

1.20

1.24

Utilities

1.16

1. 55

1. 35

Accommodation and Food Services

1.10

1.10

1. 29

Education

1.04

1. 45

1.09

Other Services (except Public Administration)

1.01

0.98

1.02

Government

0.90

0.86

1. 39

Healthcare

0.89

1.14

1.17

Wholesale Trade

0.86

0.74

1.00

Transportation and Warehousing

0.86

0.64

1.08

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

0.84

0.54

0.77

Administrative and Support Services

0.72

0.78

0.72

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

0.63

0.34

0.32

Finance and Insurance

0.61

0.80

0.63

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

0.48

2. 10

0.91

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation

0.42

0.42

0.51

Management of Companies and Enterprises

0.30

0.42

0.43

Information

0.29

0.39

0.25

Source: Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed.

Imeag by Donald Giti an via

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

In Beaumont-Port Arthur, construction; manufacturing; and mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction have the highest location quotients. These all relate to the region’s vibrant petrochemical cluster. In the Lufkin-Nacogdoches region, the industries that have LQs significantly above average are mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting; utilities; education; and manufacturing.

Some of these relate to the region’s most distinguishable clusters – forestry and forest products; livestock production and processing; and higher education. In Texarkana, the industries with the highest LQs are government; utilities; and accommodations and food services. The high LQ in government is related to the presence of state and federal correctional facilities.

Comparing changes in employment in the region since the Great Recession shows a worrisome trend (See Figure 5). Though the state of Texas and the US experienced a historically long period of expansion after the Great Recession ended, all three East Texas economies struggled to recover to their 2008 peaks. The LufkinNacogdoches region slightly outperformed the other two regions. Pandemic-induced job losses happened across all five of the geographies.

A comparison of unemployment rates in Figure 6 shows that the Beaumont-Port Arthur region has had a consistently elevated employment rate; the other two regions were more in line with rates in the state and the nation.

Figure 5. COMPARATIVE EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, 2008=100 Beaumont-Port Arthur

120

Lufkin-Nacogdoches

Texarkana

Texas

US

115

110

105

100

95

90 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed.

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RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

Figure 6. COMPARATIVE UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, 2008-2020 Beaumont-Port Arthur

15.0

Lufkin-Nacogdoches

Texarkana

Texas

US

10.0

5.0

0.0 2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE & DEMAND Figure 7 shows employment by occupational family. In all three economies, office and administrative support and sales and related are the largest occupational families. These two occupational families were among the top losers of jobs both prior to and during the Pandemic.

As shown in Figure 8, there are a number of common high-demand occupations across the three regions. The transportation and material moving family of occupations is one of the highest in-demand. This includes heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers; laborers and freight, stock, and material movers; stockers and order fillers; and light truck drivers. One of the next largest is construction and extraction, including construction laborers, carpenters, and electricians. A third high-demand occupational family is healthcare practitioners, in particular registered nurses and LVNs.

In Beaumont-Port Arthur, construction and extraction is the third largest occupational family. In Lufkin-Nacogdoches and in Texarkana, transportation and material moving is the third largest.

Figure 7. EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION, 2020 BEAUMONT -POR T AR T H UR

L UF KI N-NACOGDOCH ES

T EX AR KANA

186, 229

78, 545

68, 083

T OT AL J OBS Office & Administrative Support

20,769

11%

10,515

13%

7,696

11%

Sales & Related

18,051

10%

7,241

9%

6,800

10%

Construction & Extraction

16,119

9%

3,378

4%

3,078

5%

Food Preparation & Serving Related

15,384

8%

6,614

8%

6,473

10%

Production

14,923

8%

6,174

8%

4,703

7%

Transportation & Material Moving

14,872

8%

6,780

9%

6,609

10%

Educational Instruction & Library

11,020

6%

5,647

7%

4,653

7%

Installation, Maintenance, & Repair

9,495

5%

3,373

4%

3,550

5%

Management

9,450

5%

4,052

5%

3,026

4%

Healthcare Practitioners & Technical

9,243

5%

4,672

6%

4,747

7%

Healthcare Support

8,466

5%

5,088

6%

3,728

5%

Building & Grounds Cleaning & Maintenance

6,812

4%

3,096

4%

2,821

4%

Business & Financial Operations

6,027

3%

2,239

3%

2,404

4%

Protective Service

5,321

3%

1,957

2%

1,838

3%

Architecture & Engineering

4,582

2%

645

1%

559

1%

Personal Care & Service

4,431

2%

1,853

2%

1,451

2%

Community & Social Service

2,775

1%

1,282

2%

1,324

2%

Life, Physical, & Social Science

2,143

1%

459

1%

351

1%

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, & Media

1,949

1%

754

1%

622

1%

Computer & Mathematical

1,855

1%

643

1%

543

1%

Legal

1,123

1%

303

0%

369

1%

934

1%

1,635

2%

540

1%

Farming, Fishing, & Forestry

Source: Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed.

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RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

Figure 8. HIGH-DEMAND OCCUPATIONS BY 2021-2026 OPENINGS BEAUMONT -

L UF KI N-

POR T AR T H UR

NACOGDOCH ES

Med ian

Med ian

H ou r ly SOC

Descr ip tion

Op en in g s Ear n in g s

T EX AR KANA Med ian

H ou r ly Op en in g s Ear n in g s

H ou r ly

T otal

Op en in g s Ear n in g s Op en in g s

53-3032 Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

1,526

$20.44

959

$19.65

864

$23.29

3,348

47-2061 Construction Laborers

1,497

$16.29

391

$13.83

296

$13.64

2,183

11-1021 General & Operations Managers

1,204

$38.68

594

$35.41

384

$36.16

2,182

43-6014 Secretaries & Admin. Assists., Except Legal, Medical, & Executive

1,111

$15.92

570

$14.77

345

$14.32

2,026

41-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers

953

$18.58

510

$16.29

450

$18.08

1,913

35-1012 First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation & Serving Workers

973

$14.24

425

$16.60

491

$15.73

1,889

1,002

$14.34

—

—

666

$14.98

1,668

29-1141 Registered Nurses

710

$33.03

405

$32.93

476

$31.66

1,591

43-3031 Bookkeeping, Accounting, & Auditing Clerks

829

$18.37

431

$16.43

304

$15.04

1,564

49-9071 Maintenance & Repair Workers, General

838

$18.24

390

$14.97

289

$15.81

1,516

1,457

$13.77

—

—

—

—

1,457

25-2021 Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

672

$26.09

348

$23.79

310

$22.16

1,330

53-3033 Light Truck Drivers

767

$14.49

232

$11.69

308

$13.34

1,307

43-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Office & Admin. Support Workers

669

$25.14

374

$22.64

250

$23.62

1,292

33-3012 Correctional Officers & Jailers

595

$22.11

336

$18.90

335

$19.52

1,267

47-2031 Carpenters

802

$23.00

201

$15.63

218

$16.14

1,221

29-2061 Licensed Practical & Licensed Vocational Nurses

562

$20.24

290

$21.46

300

$18.62

1,152

41-4012 Sales Reps., Wholesale & Mfg., Except Tech. & Scientific Prods.

779

$26.26

233

$23.29

—

—

1,013

51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, & Brazers

679

$25.78

—

—

301

$19.28

979

47-2111 Electricians

760

$27.31

192

$20.50

—

—

952

53-7062 Laborers & Freight, Stock, & Material Movers, Hand

53-7065 Stockers & Order Fillers

Figure 9. TOP INDUSTRIES WHERE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES EMPLOYED BEAUMONT -POR T AR T H UR

L UF KI N-NACOGDOCH ES

T EX AR KANA

Retail Trade

32%

27%

36%

Accommodations and Food Services

28%

30%

32%

Construction

9%

7%

16%

Health Care and Social Assistance

8%

8%

13%

Administrative and Support Services

8%

10%

4%

Manufacturing

7%

9%

8%

Educational Services

3%

6%

3%

Sources: (Figure 8) Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed. (Figure 9) TPEIR a joint effort of the Texas Education Agency and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Notes: (Figure 8) Includes only jobs with average wages greater than $15 per hour and that are high-demand in more than one region. (Figure 9) Includes all employed high school graduates, both those who are working only and those who are working and enrolled in a Texas public university or college.

Percentages represent the average percent of each school district’s total. Only for school districts with five or more employed graduates.

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

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T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

ALIGNMENT OF TALENT PIPELINES Figure 9 shows the top industries where recent high school graduates are employed. Although transportation, construction, and healthcare are the three industries with the highest in-demand jobs that pay more than $15 an hour, almost twothirds of high school graduates who go directly into the workforce upon graduation are employed in retail and accommodations and food services.

Beaumont-Port Arthur region is short graduates in health science. In Texarkana, the health science shortage is more acute as is the shortage of graduates in education. Note that the annual openings of transportation, distribution, & logistics includes truck drivers, which requires a commercial driver’s license. These can be acquired through a postsecondary degree program or nondegree program. Likewise, the annual openings in human services includes occupations that require licenses that can be attained through a degree or nondegree program.

For those entry-level occupations that require a degree, a comparison of the number of completions or degree awards by career cluster can be an indicator of the alignment of the talent pipeline (See Figure 10). In Beaumont-Port Arthur and Lufkin-Nacogdoches, the regions have more than enough graduates to fill the entry-level jobs that require degrees. In Texarkana, the region has a shortage of graduates to fill open positions.

Conversely, all three regions have an abundance of graduates in business, marketing, & finance; science, technology, engineering, & math; manufacturing; and law & public service.

In addition, there are large numbers of graduates in education from the BeaumontPort Arthur and Lufkin-Nacogdoches areas.

However, a comparison by career cluster shows areas of misalignment. For example, the

Figure 10. OPENINGS AND COMPLETIONS BY CAREER CLUSTER BEAUMONT -POR T AR T H UR

L UF KI N-NACOGDOCH ES

T EX AR KANA

An n u al

T otal

An n u al

T otal

An n u al

T otal

Op en in g s

Comp letion s

Op en in g s

Comp letion s

Op en in g s

Comp letion s

Education & Training

867

3,368

449

1,034

368

270

Health Science

795

786

450

560

438

139

Business, Marketing, & Finance

459

455

188

548

181

231

Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

431

22

238

8

226

57

Human Services

386

432

148

275

159

67

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

216

698

44

538

37

212

Information Technology

131

130

48

49

38

18

Manufacturing

103

589

16

78

19

91

Law & Public Service

79

310

35

101

35

61

Architecture & Construction

76

29

21

15

14

89

Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications

70

148

30

349

28

15

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources

53

5

11

140

12

0

Hospitality & Tourism

0

23

0

38

0

40

3, 666

6, 995

1, 678

3, 733

1, 554

1, 290

Car eer Clu ster

T OT AL

Source: Emsi 2021.2 – QCEW Employees, Non-QCEW Employees, and Self-Employed and National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Note: Annual openings include only entry-level occupations that require a degree program. Completions includes only for-credit degree or other recognized postsecondary credentials that are eligible for Federal financial aid.

9

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

ABOUT THIS WORK The Foundation’s service area has three subregions or economic areas that are anchored by distinct job centers that correspond with their largest urbanized areas. These economic areas each have different specializations – petrochemical in Beaumont-Port Arthur; forest and forest products, livestock and livestock processing, and higher education in Lufkin-Nacogdoches; and, to some degree, corrections in Texarkana. Yet, healthcare and retail play prominent roles in each of the areas, supporting the regions’ stable populations.

The economic data reveals some regional challenges that are consistent with those that many rural and small metro areas face – a reliance on lower-wage industries and jobs, making the employment and retention of the region’s skilled talent difficult. At the same time, high school graduates in the region do not seem to be pursuing employment in the industries that offer higher wage jobs and college students are choosing fields of study that do not necessarily align with the career clusters that are most in-demand in the regions.

Addressing these challenges requires a concerted, collaborative, and long-term effort to cultivate more and better economic opportunities for residents in the region and to align the talent pipelines around these opportunities. The detailed economic and labor market profiles can inform the Foundation’s work doing just these things – supporting enhanced economic opportunity and better alignment of the talent pipelines – as it defines focus areas, engages stakeholders and collaborators, and strategically funds related initiatives.

Figure 11. REGIONAL ECONOMIC SPECIALIZATIONS

PETROCHEMICAL FOREST & FOREST PRODUCTS LIVESTOCK & LIVESTOCK PROCESSING HIGHER EDUCATION

CORRECTIONS

HEALTHCARE

RETAIL Source: Alexander Research & Consulting.

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

10

T.L.L. TEMPLE FOUNDATION

KEY CONCEPTS Career Clusters

Occupations

Completions

Groups of jobs that require similar knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform a variety of activities and tasks. Occupations are classified using the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) taxonomy.

Groups of related types of work and occupations.

Measurements of the number of students who completed an academic or occupational instructional program. Completions include programs offered for credit at postsecondary institutions—degrees, certificates, and other such formal awards.

Fields of Study

Standardized categories of instructional programs. Fields of Study are classified using the Classification of Instruction Programs (CIP) taxonomy to facilitate the collecting, reporting, and analyzing of program data.

Industry Sectors

Groups of companies or economic units that share production processes. Industries are classified using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Occupational Demands

Openings Numbers of new and replacement jobs. New jobs are positions that did not exists in the prior time period; replacement jobs are positions that were vacated by a worker who changed occupations.

Traded Sectors Sectors in which companies sell products or services across regions and/or countries outside of their local area.

Primary Jobs Jobs that infuse new dollars into the economy within industries that are traded or exportoriented. Examples include agriculture, mining, oil, & gas, and manufacturing.

Measurements of the number of openings in a specified time period.

11

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE

Image by Aaron Baker via Unsplash

RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE 12 RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE 12

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