If you’re looking for a job in 2017, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas has good news for you. The Texas economy continues to expand, with payroll employment growing and wages increasing. Certain Texas cities like Austin are seeing impressively low unemployment numbers as well. In fact, Austin was recently named the best city for job seekers in 2017 by NerdWallet (the next highest ranking Texas city was Irving at ninth place). It might be easy to assume that means all the good jobs are taken, but that’s simply not true. Instead, it means it’s a job seeker’s market in 2017. Congratulations!
Not only are current Texas companies scrambling to win over top talent, but an increasing number of large and growth-stage companies are moving to Texas each and every day. In fact, Texas has remained the leading state when it comes to job creation since 2007 (including through the 2015 oil industry decline), adding more than 1.8 million jobs.
Austin’s Tech Scene Is Still Booming
Nearly two dozen Silicon Valley tech companies reportedly relocated to Texas or opened offices here since 2014. The center of this activity remains in Austin where, as the Austin Chamber points out, some of the state’s biggest relocations and expansions have happened just in the past year. The following companies have added at least 500 jobs each for Austinites:
- Facebook’s new center for online operations, marketing and sales.
- The expansion of Samsung Austin Semiconductor, the company’s chip manufacturing headquarters.
- Amazon’s new digital product and game development center.
- Apple’s new American headquarters.
- Online job search website Indeed’s new headquarters.
Other digital startups and tech companies are adding to Austin’s luster, including Express Scripts (pharmacy and drug benefit management software), Aceable (driver’s education mobile software), Magic Leap (a virtual reality computing platform), uShip (online shipping marketplace), Kula Robotics, game developer Certain Affinity, HeartFlow (3D modeling software) and OutboundEngine.
Manufacturing and Distribution
Manufacturing and distribution centers are growing throughout Texas, most notably in the North Texas region. Some of the most notable recent and planned moves and expansions include:
- Toyota’s new headquarters in Plano.
- McKesson Corp. expansion in Dallas.
- Pegasus Foods’ new manufacturing plant in Rockwall.
- Solaris Oilfield Infrastructure adding manufacturing jobs near Houston.
- Snap Kitchen’s new retailer distribution center in Austin.
- LKQ auto part distribution center in Austin.
- Duke Food Productions facility in Bonham.
While Toyota plans on filling 3,000 positions with relocated employees, an impressive 1,000 jobs remain up for grabs at the future Plano headquarters. Those jobs are mostly in finance, quality engineering, information systems, and sales and marketing.
Breaking Through the Clutter
If you’ve had your eye on the job market for a while, you know that new opportunities don’t necessarily mean an easy time getting hired. Working with a staffing agency can help you:
- Be among the first to hear about opportunities.
- Get one-on-one coaching, resume or interview assistance.
- Learn about alternative opportunities including temp jobs and temp-to-hire that can lead to great long-term opportunities down the road.
It’s time to make this the year to get the job of your dreams. Keep an eye out for new companies coming into your area and be ready to grab the opportunities you deserve.
Image Copyright: mj007 / 123RF Stock Photo
