Encouraging signs are present in manufacturing and services, with a marked pickup in temp employment and initial signs that direct hiring is on the upswing.Business conditions ; Emigration and immigration ; Education, Higher - Economic aspects

Jason Saving

English

Research Papers in Economics

SouthwestEconomy    FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF DALLAS • FiRSt quARtER 2011 14
NoteWorthy
QUOTABLE: “Encouraging signs are present in manufacturing and
services, with a marked pickup in temp employment and initial signs that 
direct hiring is on the upswing.”
—Jason Saving, Senior Research Economist and Advisor
HIGHER EDUCATION: Texans Return to Classroom as Employment Lags 
MExICAN POPULATION: Decennial Census Reveals Surprising Growth 
It’s not unusual for people to go back to school when 
the economy falters and jobs are hard to find. Texas payroll 
employment fell 2.8 percent in 2009—and public higher-
education enrollment soared in the state. 
Community colleges posted a year-over-year increase 
of 12.2 percent, compared with 3.4 percent average growth 
since 1994, and four-year university enrollment expanded 
4.5 percent, above the 1.9 percent historic rate. 
The last recession generated a similar spike, beginning 
in 2001 and peaking in 2002, when community colleges 
saw an increase of about half their recent gain and four-year 
schools matched their current performance. As employment 
sagged in 2008, enrollment jumped again. When jobs began 
to reappear last year, preliminary data suggest, commu-
nity college enrollment growth remained high, but slowed. 
Four-year university enrollment continued unabated.
Greater pursuit of higher education in times of lower 
employment stands to benefit the Texas economy in years 
to come, though an enrollment increase doesn’t necessar-
ily translate into a greater proportion of degrees granted. 
According to 2008 data from the Integrated Postsec-
ondary Education Data System, 21.7 percent of students in 
Texas two-year colleges receive an associate’s degree with-
in three years, while 49 percent of the state’s four-year uni-
versity students earn a bachelor’s degree within six years.
—Adam Swadley 
Mexico’s resident population increased 15.2 percent to 
112.3 million in 2010, up from 97.5 million 10 years earlier, 
the nation’s census shows. 
Surprisingly, Mexico’s head count was 3.9 million high-
er than previously estimated. Reasons cited by the Mexican 
statistical  agency  Instituto  Nacional  de  Estadística  y  Geo-
grafía (INEGI) include decreased emigration in the second 
half of decade—most likely due to the U.S. recession—and a 
higher-than-expected fertility rate.
U.S. construction, a destination industry for many mi-
grant workers, suffered during the recession. Construction 
employment is 27 percent below its 2006 peak. In addition, 
the fertility rate came in at 2.2 children per woman. The 
projected rate was 2.04, authorities said. 
INEGI released the first results from its decennial cen-
sus late last year. The data showed that women are in the 
majority in the country at 57.5 million, compared with 54.8 
million men.
In terms of population size, Mexico is the 11th-largest 
nation in the world. It ranks third in the Western Hemi-
sphere, trailing the United States (308.7 million) and Brazil 
(190.7 million).
The four Mexican states bordering Texas—Chihuahua, 
Coahuila,  Nuevo  Leon  and  Tamaulipas—represent  12.5 
percent  of  the  nation’s  population.  Mexico  is  predomi-
nantly urban, with 76.9 percent of the population living 
in cities.
—Jesus Cañas
NEW TExANS: Other States Provide One-Third of Arrivals After 2005
Texas’ population stands at 25.1 million, a gain of 4.3 
million, or 20.6 percent, in the past 10 years, according to the 
2010 census. In terms of people, Texas had the most growth 
of any state, and by percentage, it ranked fifth, trailing Ne-
vada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho.
In the first half of the decade, international migration ac-
counted for a larger portion of Texas’ growth than domestic 
movement. In the latter half, the reverse was true. Net migra-
tion from other states (including Hurricane Katrina arrivals) 
made up roughly one-third of the growth and international in-
flows about one-fifth. Net births were responsible for the rest.
People are relocating from other states, in part, because 
of Texas’ economic strength and ability to attract businesses. 
Site  Selection  magazine’s  business  climate  rankings  have 
placed Texas near the top over the past decade; the state 
was third in 2010. CNBC picked Texas as the top state for 
business in 2010, while Forbes named Texas the seventh-
best state for business and careers.
In 2010, the Milken Institute’s rankings of best U.S. met-
ros by job creation and economic growth placed five Texas 
cities in the top 10 among large metros. Military-dominated 
Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood (No. 1) and El Paso were on the 
list, as were Austin–Round Rock, McAllen–Edinburg–Mission 
and Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown. College Station–Bryan 
and Tyler were among the 10 best small metros.
—Yingda Bi

Noteworthy: New Texans, Mexican population, higher education

http://www.dallasfed.org/assets/documents/research/swe/2011/swe1101f.pdf

Noteworthy: New Texans, Mexican population, higher education

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