AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas governor bragged Friday about the state’s economy after the most recent jobs report included some impressive numbers, but a report released this week warns that increasingly hot summers may have a chilling effect on the business atmosphere.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s office put out a news release touting the state’s employers adding 61,400 non-farm jobs in September, which they said makes Texas the leader in the nation for most jobs added, not only over the last month but also the last year. Abbott also noted Texas reached a new high of 14,049,400 total jobs in the state.
“Jobs are surging in Texas thanks to the best business climate and strongest workforce in the nation,” Abbott wrote in a statement.
However, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas released a new report Wednesday looking at how hotter summer days are possibly slowing down the state’s growth. The four authors noted the heat may not have much effect in terms of jobs, but they projected the “effect on Texas GDP growth is likely to be twice as pronounced as in the rest of the U.S.”
They specifically highlighted a survey done by the Dallas Fed of business executives in August, and the responses showed a quarter of them reported “lower revenue or lower production due to the heat.” That was most pronounced in the leisure and hospitality industry.
KXAN’s Will DuPree is working on a story about the business climate that will air Friday on KXAN News at 6 p.m.
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