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Dear Texas Economic Development Stakeholders,

As always, please visit our website, follow us on social media, or reach out to a member of our team if we can be of any assistance. Thanks for all you do for our great state!

-Adriana Cruz, Executive Director, Texas Economic Development & Tourism

Unemployment Rate: 4.7% 

Jobs Added in February: 77,800

Job Recovery Rate: 113.7%

Workforce: 14.3 million

View the full economic snapshot ›

Made in Texas: Innovation in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Photo courtesy of Samsung

Texas has recently garnered global attention for our achievements in semiconductor manufacturing, particularly for the recent multi-billion dollar investments from Samsung and Texas Instruments. However, Texas’ history with semiconductor leadership is decades-long, dating back as far as the industry’s beginning. 

The Lone Star State is proud to be home to the invention of the integrated circuit. In 1958, Texas Instruments produced the first integrated circuit at their headquarters in Dallas. Today, semiconductors and integrated circuits are utilized in nearly all aspects of everyday life, from smartphones to vehicles, and beyond. 

Since then, Texas has continued to be a hub for industry innovation and growth. More than 200 semiconductor manufacturing establishments currently call Texas home, making up more than 10% of all establishments in the country. Texas chip production accounts for more than one quarter of all semiconductor exports from the U.S. 

Semiconductor manufacturers are attracted to Texas for a number of reasons, including our emphasis on innovation, our skilled workforce, outstanding higher education institutions and research facilities, robust infrastructure, overall lower operating costs, and a strategic geographical location with easy access to global markets. The Lone Star State has prioritized developing a highly skilled workforce in the industry, ranking #2 nationally for employment in semiconductor and machinery manufacturing. 

Education and R&D is another reason many companies have chosen Texas as their preferred location for semiconductor operations. Texas A&M University, University of Texas, Rice University, and Texas Tech University all have programs dedicated to semiconductor research. Each of these institutions help ensure that the next generation of researchers and workers in this field are well equipped to meet the needs of employers.    

Thanks to Texas' competitive advantages, in combination with a powerful history of innovation and continued focus on industry development, Texas is poised to lead the world towards the future of advancements in semiconductor manufacturing.

Read more about the Texas semiconductor industry by visiting the Texas Comptroller's website.

Hot off the Press

Our office develops in-depth reports and publications highlighting the Lone Star State's best assets in various industry sectors. Check out these and other Reports & Publications on our website.

Texas Bragging Rights Check out the latest Texas Bragging Rights for some of our state's top awards and accolades!

International Company Map Texas is the nation's most popular location for foreign direct investment! Check out our new International Company Map to see a sampling of international companies with operations in Texas and recent FDI announcements.

Chicago Business Development Mission

Texas economic development leaders traveled to Chicago in March to meet with businesses and site section consultants eager to discuss the advantages of doing business in the Lone Star State. EDT representatives joined the Texas Economic Development Corporation (TxEDC) and a delegation of Texas communities on the mission.

“CEOs and site selection consultants across the country are interested in Texas as a location for their business relocation or expansion for a number of reasons: our reasonable regulatory climate and business friendly environment, our highly skilled and diverse workforce, a robust network of state-of-the-art infrastructure, and easy access to global markets,” said Adriana Cruz, EDT's Executive Director.

To read more on the Chicago Business Development Mission, see TxEDC's full press release.

New Staff Spotlights

Kacey Bowen joined the Business & Community Development team as a Marketing & Communications Specialist. Growing up in the Lone Star State, her love for Texas runs deep and she’s excited to show others what makes this state so great. After graduating from Texas Christian University with a degree in Journalism, Kacey spent the last several years working throughout Texas as a news reporter and anchor, most recently in Austin. Now, she’s excited to join the EDT team in promoting Texas as a premier business destination. When not working, you can find Kacey spending time with her friends or family, adventuring in or around Austin, and trying to find the best local coffee spot. You may contact Kacey through our online staff directory.

Karina Trevino joined the Business & Community Development team as a Research Specialist after serving as a Grant Specialist in the Office of the Governor's Public Safety Office for two years. Karina graduated in 2019 from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in History. Karina’s hobbies include staying active by hiking trails throughout Central Texas, searching for the best view. She loves traveling to new cities all over Texas on the search for the best desserts. Lastly, her newest hobby is taking photos of family and friends. Currently, her favorite models for her photos are her elementary age nieces and nephews. You may contact Karina through our online staff directory.

EDT's Executive Director, Adriana Cruz, attended Covestro's 50th anniversary celebration in Baytown, Texas.

Texas' success in attracting the most corporate facility projects is thanks to the multitude of unique competitive business advantages that no other state can claim. For more on these business advantages, visit our Why Texas? webpages. Here are some of Texas' recently announced projects in regions across the state:

• Meta in Temple: Meta has announced the selection of Temple for the location of a new Hyperscale Data Center. The facility is expected to create $800 million in capital expenditure and create 100 new jobs. 
• Deere & Co. in Austin: Deere & Company is expanding its U.S. footprint and technology operations with a new office in Austin. Deere hopes the expansion to Austin will improve the company’s portfolio as a global tech leader.
• James Avery in Corpus Christi: James Avery will bring a jewelry manufacturing facility to Corpus Christi, bringing more than 200 jobs to the area. Construction on the 41,200-square-foot facility will begin as early as June 2022.
• Bakerly in San Antonio: Bakerly LLC announced plans to construct a new $35 million, 137,000-square-foot production center in San Antonio that will be used for production operations and administrative offices.
• Texas Tito's in New Braunfels: Texas Tito's spicy snacks is expanding its facilities in New Braunfels with a $4.1 million investment in a new business office, warehouse, and production facility.

Read more project announcements ›

“It ain’t bragging if it's true!” Here are some of the recent accolades Texas has received:

• Texas cities dominate the Best Cities to Raise a Family in the South in 2022, according to a study by Dwellics.
• Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, and Austin-Round Rock received recognition as Top 10 Metros for Economic Development for populations over 1 million (Site Selection Magazine).
• Abilene received recognition as a Top 10 Metro for Economic Development, ranking #8 in the country for populations under 200,000 (Site Selection Magazine).
• Texas has the most counties of any other state in the top 10 for largest population growth: Collin, Fort Bend, Williamson, Denton, and Montgomery (U.S. Census Bureau).
• Texas has four of the top 10 fastest growing metros in the U.S.: Dallas-Fort Worth Arlington, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Austin-Round Rock, and San Antonio-New Braunfels (U.S. Census Bureau).

Read more touts ›