AUSTIN (Austin Business Journal) – According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, four major Texas metros had the strongest employment gains in the nation during the past five years.

Houston led the way with 129,800 new private-sector jobs created between June 2005 and June 2010.

Dallas came in second with 71,300 jobs, followed by Austin and San Antonio with 56,100 and 32,600, respectively.

With 84 of the nation's 100 biggest labor markets suffering losses in private-sector employment during that time, Texas represented one-fourth of those that finished on the upside.

In a shorter time span, Texas fared well with Austin having the largest one-year gain at 8,400 jobs and Dallas ranking third with 4,800 private-sector jobs created between June 2009 and June 2010.

COLLEGE STATION (Real Estate Center) – Texas is leading the United States in the current U-shaped economic recovery. The state’s economy experienced its second month of positive annual employment growth after 16 months of job losses.

Texas’ annual employment growth rate was 0.9 percent from June 2009 to June 2010 compared with a negative rate of 0.1 percent for the nation. After 17 months of job losses, the state’s private sector posted a positive annual employment growth rate of 0.4 percent.

The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose from 7.8 percent in June 2009 to 8.2 percent in June 2010, while the U.S. rate in June was 9.5 percent, the same as in June 2009.

Six Texas industries — education and health services; mining and logging; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; manufacturing; and transportation, warehousing, utilities — and the government sector had more jobs in June 2010 than in June 2009. Five other industries experienced net job losses over the same period.

Sixteen Texas metro areas experienced positive employment growth rates from June 2009 to June 2010, up from 13 for the period from May 2009 to May 2010. College Station-Bryan ranked first in job creation followed by San Angelo, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood and Waco.

The state’s actual unemployment rate in June 2010 was 8.5 percent. Midland had the lowest unemployment rate followed by Amarillo, Lubbock, San Angelo, Abilene and College Station-Bryan.

The Real Estate Center's complete economic review is available on the Center's website.

TEXAS (CNBC) – Texas has reclaimed the top spot from Virginia as CNBC’s number one state for business.

The news source's study measures states on 40 different metrics in ten key categories including cost of doing business, workforce, quality of life, economy, transportation and infrastructure, and technology and innovation. 

According to government figures, the Texas economy is the 15th largest in the world in addition to being home to 64 Fortune 500 companies — more than any other state.

Although the state ranked high overall, it did fall short in the "cost of doing business" category, where it came in at number 30.

by Fred Afflerbach | Business Writer
Published: July 13, 2010

 Loaded with groceries and other dry goods for points east, west, north and south, the big rigs begin rolling today from the new Temple H-E-B distribution center.

The 450,000-square-foot dry-grocery facility sits on 168 acres in northwest Temple, atop a small hill in the Rail Park at Central Pointe Industrial Park. Temple is a key location because the 105-year-old grocer now ships from San Antonio. Having a distribution point 120 miles north saves fuel and cuts trip time to destinations north of Austin.

With room for growth, the workforce of 200 could expand to 1,000 several years from now. The Temple location will begin with a fleet of 50 tractor-trailer rigs.