As National Labor Markets Tighten, Texas Domestic Migration Slows

Texas has been dubbed the “miracle state,” due to a very business-friendly environment, job creation, no state income tax and reasonable weather (except for August). However, despite a strong economy and historically low unemployment rates, net migration into Texas from other states has slowed since 2015, according to data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Dallas Fed economists Keith Phillips and Alexander Abraham believe the reason for this trend isn’t so much that Texas has become less desirable, as much as it’s because other locales are becoming more so. “While economic growth improved in Texas in 2017 and 2018,” the analysts noted, “conditions were also strong throughout the U.S.” The end result is that Texas employers will continue struggling to attract out-of-state workers, at least, as long as the national economy remains strong.

For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter