1. Cameron County WDA A Growing Labor Market 2003 LMI Conference, Austin, Texas

2. Unemployment - “defined” An "acceptable" level of unemployment means that the government economist to whom it is acceptable still has a job. Found on JokEc website

3. Cameron County WDA Area Background Texas’ southernmost county located in the fertile Rio Grande Valley Economy consists of agribusiness; tourism; seafood processing; shipping; manufacturing, and government/services Population grew by 28.9% between 1990 and 2000 and ranked 40th of 254 counties in percentage population growth

4. Cameron County WDA Area Background Cont. Employers provided 115,252 jobs in 3rd Qtr. 2002 Median Family Income in 2000 was $27,853 Civilian labor force of nearly 146,000 workers

5. Cameron County WDA Area Background Cont. The Brownsville-Harlingen MSA ranked 2nd of the 27 MSAs in annual nonagricultural job growth in April 2003. Percent of families living below the poverty line in 1999 - 28.2%

6. Cameron WDA vs. Texas April Unemployment Rates; 1990-2003

7. Area Labor Force Comparisons

8. Nonfarm Job Growth Source: Current Employment Statistics Program, Labor Market Information, TWC

9. Workers vs. Jobs Source: CES and LAUS Programs, Labor Market Information, TWC

10. Cameron WDA Industry Make-Up

11. Cameron WDA Top Paying Industries

12. Area Population Comparisons

13. Occupations Adding the Most Jobs: 2000-2010

14. Cameron WDA Top Paying Occupations

15. Cameron WDA Unemployment Claims

16. Cameron WDA Educational Attainment Population 25 years and over: Less than 9th grade - 29.4% 9th to 12th grade, no diploma - 15.4% High school graduate (incl.. equiv.) - 20.1% Some college, no degree - 17.5% Associate’s degree - 4.3% Bachelor’s degree - 8.4% Graduate or professional degree - 4.9% Percent high school graduate or higher - 55.2% Percent bachelor’s degree or higher - 13.4%

17. Area Education Resources The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College Vanguard Institute of Technology South Texas Vocational Technical Institute Action Career Training III South Texas Nurse Aide Training Center II Career Tech Institute

18. Cameron WDA Language Information Language Spoken at Home Population 5 years and over: English only - 21% Language other than English - 79% Spanish - 78.3% Speak English less than “very well” - 35.3%

19. Questions?

20. Thank You for Being Here! Contact Information: Al LopezPh. (512) 244-7966 al.lopez2@twc.state.tx.us Clay GriffisPh. (512) 491-4810 clayton.griffis@twc.state.tx.us