Lufkin, TX: The T.L.L. Temple Foundation has released updated Rural East Texas Economic and Labor Market Analysis reports for the Northeast, Deep East, and Southeast regions of Texas as part of the Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis series. The reports are part of a larger foundation priority to better align the workforce education and training pipeline with key industry and occupation clusters in rural regions of East Texas.
“The Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis ensures that leaders across East Texas, from schools and colleges to businesses and families, have the information they need to make informed decisions about their futures. The T.L.L. Temple Foundation supports aligning rural education and workforce systems to prepare our young people for the thousands of good, family-sustaining jobs available in our region,” said Wynn Rosser, President & CEO.
Increasing the number of rural East Texans with high-demand, high-wage credentials requires a clear understanding of local labor markets and the industries driving regional economic growth. The original reports, released in January 2022, defined three economic sub-regions: Northeast Texas (centered on Texarkana), Deep East Texas (centered on Lufkin and Nacogdoches), and Southeast Texas (centered on Beaumont and Port Arthur). The updated analysis provides detailed profiles of the economic and labor market structure for each sub-region, highlighting key industry sectors, current and projected employment opportunities, and high-demand skills and credentials.
Often, economic analyses focus on urban growth, leaving rural communities like East Texas overlooked. To build a thriving rural East Texas, education, business, and community leaders must prioritize dynamic industries that will drive future regional development and focus on the right credentials that qualify residents for good, family-sustaining jobs. By highlighting workforce demand in rural East Texas, this research supports the goal of alleviating poverty and creating access and opportunity for all.
“There are plenty of high-quality data and reports for growing metro areas across Texas, but the Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis was developed specifically for rural East Texans. Based on feedback sessions with East Texas education and economic development leaders, these reports have been updated with new data and features to answer important questions about high-demand, high-wage jobs and emerging industries in each region of East Texas,” added Jerry Neal Kenney, Program Officer for Regional Capacity Building and Community Development.
The T.L.L. Temple Foundation engaged Alexander Research & Consulting to update the Rural East Texas Economic Opportunity Analysis.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact the foundation at (936) 634-3900.
