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
II
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
III
Unhspla
RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE
RURAL EAST TEXAS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS SUMMARY PROFILE
IV
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.
1
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
2
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.
3
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
Unhspla
4
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.
5
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
6
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.
7
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
8
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
PREPARED BY
