Regional Labor Market

The Gulf Coast Workforce Development Area is the largest of twenty-eight workforce development areas in Texas with a civilian labor force that is more than 3 million strong. The Gulf Coast Workforce Development Area represents a labor force that is larger than thirty-five states and seven of the smallest states combined. The area's civilian labor force has grown by nearly 700,000 since 2000 expanding at an average annual growth rate of 2.1 percent.

The Gulf Coast region's unemployment rate mirrored the state's rate and remained considerably lower than the nation's rate throughout 2012. By December it had fallen considerably to 6.0%, the lowest since December 2008. Many areas of the nation are not experiencing the same level of economic recovery we're seeing in Texas and the Gulf Coast. The unemployment rate in the Gulf Coast region should continue to steadily decline throughout 2013. For current rates click on: Other Local Rates

For additional information see our ECONOMIC PROFILES AND MONTHLY/QUARTERLY REPORTS BY COUNTY AND METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA .

Quick Statistics

• For the region, U. S. Census 2010 data shows an average commute time of 24.61 minutes among the employed workers.
• The labor force participation rate in the region was 67.4 percent for the total population 16 years of age and older.
• Over 74 percent of workers commute 24 miles or less to work.
• A partial list of sectors projected for significant growth by the Texas Workforce Commission's LMCI Department includes health care, educational services, and oil and natural gas extraction.
• Some of the occupational groups slated for larger net growth (Texas Workforce Commission Projections, 2010-2020) include Teachers, Registered Nurses, Engineers, Accountants, Child Care Workers, Retail Sales and Combined Food Preparation & Serving Workers - including Fast Food.

*Source: Texas Workforce Commission, LMCI Department in cooperation with the BLS, U.S. Department of Labor.

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