Texas stands at the peak of prosperity today. The surging economy pushed the unemployment rate to a historic low, 3.7 percent, in October, and is on pace to produce 353,000 new jobs this year. That healthy economy, plus a relatively low cost of living and warm climate, attracted upwards of 1,000 new residents per day last year. Texas has added more than three million people so far this decade and is predicted to grow by another 13 million by its bicentennial in 2036.
This prosperity and growth were not the result of dumb luck. They were cultivated deliberately over decades. Local and state policy makers and business leaders worked together to plan and make strategic public investments that allowed our economy and our communities to thrive.