While telecommunications, computers and other high-tech industries are woven into this region's economic fabric, the energy market still dominates much of the economy along the Gulf Coast. A recent Federal Reserve report said demand for petrochemical products was down, but that prices for diesel fuel, natural gas, heating oil and crude oil were increasing.
Layoffs in the telecom industry have rocked Dallas and San Antonio. When SBC Communications laid off several thousand workers in San Antonio at the end of last year, it also put nearly 200,000 square feet of office space onto the local market.
Texas' housing market remains strong, as Austin and Dallas continue to be among the nation's leaders in new housing starts. The state's office construction market is a mixed bag. Dallas is in the doldrums, with 29 percent downtown vacancy rates, but Houston has a 9 percent downtown vacancy rate.
ELECTRICAL WHOLESALERS' SALES
(in millions of dollars) EW Estimates | | Final 1998 | Final 1999 | Final 2000 | Final 2001 | Forecast 2002 | Forecast 2003 |
|---|
| West South Central | 7,495.2 | 8,321.0 | 8,474.2 | 8,588.1 | 8,680.9 | 9,056.2 |
| Arkansas | 374.8 | 418.1 | 425.8 | 431.6 | 436.2 | 455.1 |
| Louisiana | 1,053.5 | 1,175.5 | 1,197.1 | 1,213.2 | 1,226.3 | 1,279.4 |
| Oklahoma | 499.9 | 587.6 | 598.4 | 606.5 | 613.0 | 639.5 |
| Texas | 5,567.0 | 6,139.7 | 6,252.7 | 6,336.8 | 6,405.3 | 6,682.2 |
EMPLOYMENT STATISTICSActual EC | in thousands | | | M | F/S/RT | G |
|---|
| West South Central | 99,459 | 1,590.5 | 7,378.6 | 2,462.4 |
| Arkansas | 5,786 | 229.0 | 547.7 | 194.0 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA | 847 | 34.6 | 79.7 | 21.3 |
| Fort Smith MSA | 435 | 26.4 | 47.3 | 10.9 |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA | 2,305 | 29.1 | 168.2 | 61.2 |
| Pine Bluff MSA | 177 | 7.1 | 15.4 | 8.2 |
| Louisiana | 16,934 | 177.2 | 987.8 | 378.3 |
| Alexandria MSA | 1,961 | 3.8 | 29.6 | 13.0 |
| Baton Rouge MSA | 5,551 | 24.3 | 157.7 | 59.8 |
| Houma MSA | 198 | 8.1 | 35.0 | 14.3 |
| Lafayette MSA | 1,591 | 12.5 | 87.2 | 23.7 |
| Lake Charles MSA | 441 | 10.4 | 43.2 | 13.9 |
| Monroe MSA | 812 | 8.2 | 41.5 | 13.2 |
| New Orleans MSA | 3,451 | 43.6 | 358.0 | 106.8 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City MSA | 730 | 16.2 | 98.8 | 32.5 |
| Oklahoma | 10,314 | 175.8 | 800.7 | 295.7 |
| Enid MSA | 111 | 2.5 | 12.9 | 3.9 |
| Lawton MSA | 175 | 3.8 | 20.1 | 11.6 |
| Oklahoma City MSA | 4,000 | 48.2 | 313.2 | 103.9 |
| Tulsa MSA | 3,476 | 56.8 | 225.1 | 43.5 |
| Texas | 66,341 | 1,008.5 | 5,042.4 | 1,594.4 |
| Abilene MSA | 400 | 3.0 | 32.5 | 9.4 |
| Amarillo MSA | 438 | 8.8 | 56.0 | 15.8 |
| Austin-San Marcos MSA | 5,534 | 70.4 | 357.8 | 144.3 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur MSA | 2,068 | 21.9 | 80.8 | 27.0 |
| Brazoria PMSA | 1,060 | 13.8 | 31.7 | 15.0 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito MSA | 675 | 10.9 | 60.5 | 26.9 |
| Bryan-College Station MSA | 509 | 5.2 | 33.8 | 26.9 |
| Corpus Christi MSA | 1,281 | 12.7 | 87.3 | 30.6 |
| Dallas PMSA | 15,820 | 232.6 | 1,130.7 | 226.9 |
| El Paso MSA | 771 | 32.3 | 123.5 | 58.4 |
| Fort Worth-Arlington PMSA | 6,081 | 105.6 | 418.4 | 102.2 |
| Galveston-Texas City PMSA | 553 | 7.4 | 44.8 | 26.4 |
| Houston PMSA | 17,299 | 212.0 | 1,140.3 | 267.2 |
| Killeen-Temple MSA | 486 | 8.8 | 54.7 | 28.9 |
| Laredo MSA | 216 | 1.4 | 34.6 | 17.0 |
| Longview-Marshall MSA | 477 | 15.7 | 47.5 | 12.0 |
| Lubbock MSA | 882 | 6.9 | 70.1 | 25.3 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA | 569 | 10.3 | 89.5 | 43.7 |
| Odessa-Midland MSA | 722 | 7.0 | 50.1 | 17.7 |
| San Angelo MSA | 525 | 4.9 | 23.5 | 9.2 |
| San Antonio MSA | 4,423 | 52.8 | 436.8 | 133.7 |
| Sherman-Denison MSA | 771 | 7.4 | 24.3 | 6.0 |
| Texarkana MSA | 363 | 5.6 | 27.3 | 10.9 |
| Tyler MSA | 320 | 11.5 | 50.2 | 11.8 |
| Victoria MSA | 114 | 3.1 | 19.5 | 6.6 |
| Waco MSA | 475 | 14.0 | 53.7 | 17.2 |
| Wichita Falls MSA | 278 | 7.7 | 31.1 | 12.9 |
