Council Committee to Receive Briefing This Morning on Dallas's 'Flat Employment' Rate

Council Committee to Receive Briefing This Morning on Dallas's "Flat Employment" Rate

By Robert Wilonsky Mon., Oct. 3 2011 at 9:00 AM

From this morning's presentation to the council's Economic Development Committee

In a few minutes, the council's Economic Development Committee will take up the subject of Dallas' Workforce and Jobs, which comes with this 29-page PowerPoint worth a look-see even if you're not planning on following along, which we are. Long story short: "In an ongoing weak national economy," says the doc prepared by the Office of Economic Development, "Dallas is better positioned than the nation and peer cities." The reasons, it says, are myriad and familiar: "diverse business base, regulatory and tax environments, no income tax, geography and location" and low cost of living, among the explanations making up the good-news laundry list.

But a few pages in and it's not all champagne and Calatravas. Dallas's unemployment rate, below the national average for most of the recession, is catching up -- or, as the briefing puts it to soften the blow, "Dallas' unemployment rate is converging to the U.S." And out of the million folks who work in the city limits every day, 727,000 are "suburban residents [who] come into the city for their work," then scoot when it gets dark.

Worse, says the presentation, there exists in Dallas what the OED calls an "industry mismatch," meaning: "Dallas' workforce is heavily concentrated in the lower paying, higher unemployment occupations." Which leads to this question: Does Dallas have the "wrong workforce or the wrong jobs"? Answers forthcoming. Tune in.

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Mike

It's the workforce. The component on jobs has already left the barn and won't be returning. That 700K will continue to drop as telecommuting and other enhancements reduce the need for central operations even for local firms. Bringing a few corporate jobs to downtown will not make any difference. We have to make the entire city more attractive to middle class families that buy property here and goods in our stores or we'll face years of financial problems, just barely getting by. Nothing happens without fixing the schools. It is the single critical development, workforce, whatever list you want, need that we have. Forget about bridges, parks, festivals, etc.

DISD Teacher

Agree completely.

We need every racial group to surrender and say that when it comes to schools, we want excellence only. No more race-based hiring, protection from firing, attendance lines, or excuse making.

Until that happens, middle-class parents of every race, who value excellence and opportunity for their children, will stay away.

Mister_Mean

Flat unemployment-how about raising taxes! That ALLWAYS helps-kick those citizens while they are down-and then go on a spending spree with tax dollars-it's the Dallas Way.. Oh yes they did it last year no need to do it again this year (expect the spending spree part).

Titus Groan

Answer: wrong workforce. Why? Poor city services, poor school district, and high housing costs make it pretty difficult for middle-class folks to justify living in Dallas. Not that hard to figure out, really.

RTR

School system is in turmoil. Housing in Southern Sector is horrific and education in the Southern Sector is non-existent. This is one of the horrible ramifications of a segregated City. The problem is so bad, Dallas has hit the wall. Time to face the facts.

BCulbreath

I wish you would come to Southern Dallas and find the horrific housing.I drive home every day and don't see what what you described. We do need some more high income housing but market has stopped most of that,DISD has problems but if Parents would put some rules in place at home school would be better for all.Its very hard to teach Ba Ba Kids. Dallas housing has not been segregated since Open Housing was passed.Om my street in Southern Dallas,three White families have moved in,one from Kessler Park.So its there and some of us simply do not want to live North.I lived North all my childhood then Arlington Park back North now 25 South/West Oak Cliff and love it.