Austin is yet again at the top of a list for cities performing well in a crummy economy. The Milken Institute recently released a report of the cities that performed best at creating and sustaining jobs in 2009. Texas metro areas took three of the top 10 spots.
The Austin-Round Rock metro was ranked No. 4 last year, but came in at No. 1. This year. The Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood area rose from 13th place to second. The Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metro went from up from 16th to 5th place this year.
The Milken Institute says regional economic factors were major influencers, and the industries with most stability were technology, alternative energy, and the oil and gas industry.
Austin's strong tech industry is what boosted it to first place. It is also the first time a metro has been ranked No. 1 twice on this index (we were No. 1 in 2000). According to the Institute, "Another factor helping Texas metros move up in the rankings is that state's favorable business climate and its ability to attract jobs and corporations away from higher-cost states."
The index was calculated based on employment and salary growth both in the short term and long term. Additionally, they measured technology output growth "because of technology's crucial role in creating good jobs and driving regional economies."
Comments
That is why it is so ridiculously crowded here now. Yucky traffic, people, and of course you have to live in texas. I am moving away again as soon as I can.
I agree. Austin is the pits. And where are all the jobs that it is raving about having? If you do find one, it is always a service job that pays minimun wage so every one has at least two jobs just to try to get by (barely). If I could afford it, I’d leave here as fast as I could.