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Ask CEOs, entrepreneurs, educators and researchers why the Austin region has stayed hot through more than two decades of business trends and you’ll hear one common theme—workforce. It’s all about people, and Austin’s supply of unmatched employee talent is certainly no accident. Our labor pool is among the most energetic, innovative, and educated in the world. Here, the best and the brightest lead many diverse business sectors. And you’ll find like minds coming every day to join them—whether it’s from outside our area or through one of the largest talent pipelines in the country—the University of Texas at Austin.

Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment

Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment, 2008

Labor force Employment Unemployment Number Rate Austin MSA 867,507 829,633 37,874 4.4% Bastrop Co. 34,326 32,640 1,686 4.9% Caldwell Co. 15,850 15,024 826 5.2% Hays Co. 75,194 71,958 3,236 4.3% Travis Co. 543,352 520,289 23,063 4.2% Williamson Co. 198,785 189,722 9,063 4.6% Unemployment Rates   2005 2006 2007 2008 Austin MSA 4.5% 4.2% 3.7% 4.4% Texas 5.4% 4.9% 4.4% 4.9% U.S. 5.1% 4.6% 4.6% 5.8%

Employment, Austin MSA

Employment Growth

Note: Time series of annual and monthly numbers for these and additional workforce indicators are updated monthly on the Chamber's Economic Indicators page. Source: Texas Workforce Commission.

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Employment by Industry

Employment by Industry, Austin MSA

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total non-farm 667,400 692,200 723,200 757,500 777,400 Construction, natural resources, & mining 37,700 40,200 44,600 49,000 47,800 Manufacturing 57,400 57,300 58,900 59,700 58,200 Wholesale trade 35,400 37,400 38,500 41,300 41,400 Retail trade 69,100 72,700 76,300 81,400 84,100 Transportation, warehousing, & utilities 11,000 11,700 12,600 13,300 13,400 Information 20,500 21,500 21,800 21,900 20,900 Financial activities 40,000 41,200 43,300 44,700 44,900 Professional & business services 89,100 94,100 99,600 106,000 111,700 Educational & health Services 68,400 71,100 73,800 77,200 80,600 Leisure & hospitality 67,100 69,700 74,300 78,300 80,500 Other services 26,000 26,500 27,700 28,200 30,400 Government 145,800 148,900 152,000 156,600 163,400

Employment by Industry 2008

Note: Time series of annual and monthly numbers for these and additional workforce indicators are updated monthly on the Chamber's Economic Indicators page. Source: Texas Workforce Commission.

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Employment by Occupation

Employment by Occupation 2007

Austin MSA Total, all occupations 830,318 Management, professional & related occupations 344,642 ....Management occupations 95,532 ....Business & financial operations 41,260 ....Professional & related occupations 207,850 .........Computer & mathematical 42,670 .........Architecture & engineering 25,881 .........Life, physical, & social science 7,008 .........Community & social services 12,064 .........Legal 14,432 .........Education, training, & library 54,457 .........Arts, design, entertainment, sports & media 22,535 .........Healthcare practitioners & technical 28,803 Service occupations 123,500 ....Healthcare support 13,296 ....Protective service 13,289 ....Food preparation & serving related 46,729 ....Building and grounds cleaning & maintenance 25,297 ....Personal care & service 24,889 Sales & related occupations 95,555 Office & administrative support 110,581 Farming, fishing, & forestry occupations 1,166 Construction & extraction 61,555 Installation, maintenance & repair 24,099 Production 32,757 Transportation & material moving 36,463

Employment by Occupation 2007

Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census.

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