El Paso Employment Analysis

The El Paso area has suffered some of the worst unemployment rates in the entire state of Texas.  Not to say that El Paso is suffering more than the national average, which, by comparison is roughly what El Paso’s unemployment rate falls at, by the city definitely has not been able to align itself with an economically diverse lineup like many other more successful Texas cities have.  There have been a few bright spots in the city’s economy, but not many.

El Paso is close to the Mexican border.  And with immigrants coming over to find work in any sector they can, some of the more entry-level jobs in El Paso have been flooded with people willing to work for far less than minimum wage.  The area used to be a copper mecca, but now finds itself supported by its agricultural industry and production and manufacturing plants.  Manufacturing has not been a sector that has performed very well during the recession.  Depending on the industry, some cities have seen entire manufacturing sectors and industries wiped out, while other cities, rich in high tech and in-demand manufacturing and production plants have fared relatively well.

The one sector that has shown growth even during the recession is the education sector.  El Paso’s schools and colleges have seen an up-tick in attendance and the demand for more teachers, administrative staff, and support staff has grown as well.  The population has also been growing steadily, owing much of its increase to its socioeconomic and demographic makeup.  There are very few new businesses and industries being attracted to the city, and much of the population growth has been internal, as opposed to external in people moving to the area for work or to find a new residence.

El Paso’s economy has seen a boost from nearby Fort Bliss.  Jobs in the government sector have remained steady during the recession.  Another area where there is some job security is in the federal workers sector.  The US Border Patrol and INS have kept a strong presence in El Paso, one of the US’s and Mexico’s most important border towns and ports of entry.  Like it or not, the city is also home to many controversial border fence and border protection programs, which, depending on how much funding they receive in the coming years, could also provide more jobs for the region.

El Paso will likely be able to successfully weather the economic storm, though most of the support for doing so will come from the government jobs sector.  The city is not the place to be for manufacturing or production jobs, since there has been much outsourcing and many closures in recent years.  The lower than average cost of living in the El Paso area will continue to help retain locals as well.  There are a few other state-funded efforts to help redevelop the city and attract more outside businesses to come to El Paso.  If these initiatives are successful, El Paso could very well be transformed into a more recession-proof city, like many other Texas cities have been over the past two decades.