Austin-Round Rock Data Snapshot

Thanks to the Austin Chapter of the Texas Recruiters Association for inviting us to speak at their August meeting today. Brian Kelsey did a short presentation on the State of the Labor Market in Austin-Round Rock. Click on the link to download a PDF copy.

Discussion topics included:

• Despite employment falling by more than 3% in 2002 as Austin-Round Rock struggled to get out of the last recession, population in the region still increased by 30,000 people. How is the current recession affecting population growth?
• Mobility is a critical part of understanding the regional labor market. 55% of workers in Austin live someplace other than Austin.
• Talent is our greatest competitive advantage, but we have serious challenges that need addressing. According to the latest figures available from the U.S. Census Bureau, 16% of Austin residents age 25+ do not have a high school diploma, including 41% of all Hispanics.
• Thanks to groups like the E3 Alliance, the message about linking education to economic and workforce development is getting out there, but more work is ahead of us. Here's a statistic worth considering: of the jobs in Travis County requiring only a high school diploma, just 16% pay enough to support a family of two adults and two children without a second income.