Workforce
in Dallas
Dallas is the
eighth largest city in the United States - and its ever-expanding population
provides the backbone for the city's growing workforce. The highest concentration
of workers in the Dallas metropolitan area is found in the city itself,
and the North Central Texas Council of Governments projects that the Dallas
Central Business District will continue to be the number one employment
center in the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area for the next 25 years.
Education
and Training
Employers
reap the benefits of excellent elementary and secondary schools and an
expansive system of higher education. Post-secondary students in Dallas
are provided with a wide range of options, including community colleges,
private and public universities, and job training institutions. Six school
districts and more than 45 private institutions serve the area's children,
preparing them to enroll in any of the 31 colleges and universities located
within a 30-mile radius of downtown Dallas.
Edmund J. Kahn
Job Training Center
The Job Training Center at the Bill
J. Priest Institute for Economic Development offers basic skills/GED
preparation, job specific training and skills enhancement or new skills
training through continuing education courses. Short-term programs prepare
students for entry-level positions as accounting clerks, word processing
office assistants, medical office clerks and data entry operators. Job
Training Partnership Act funds and Texas Public Education grants are available,
based on need, for qualifying students enrolled in certificate programs.
Business Performance
Improvement Services
The Business Performance Improvement Services at Bill
J. Priest offers contract training programs tailored to meet the requirements
of a particular company. The training programs are conducted at times
and locations convenient to the organization. Programmed courses are available
in Continuous Quality Improvement, Total Quality Management, ISO 9000
Registration Training, Supplier Training, Benchmarking and customized
computer training.
Smart Jobs
A "smart
job" is defined by the State of Texas as a demand occupation that
is in the growth mode. The Texas
Department of Economic Development's Smart Jobs grant program offers
funding to small business and minority employers for the purpose of training
their employees in high-skill, high-wage jobs in high-demand occupations
- up to $2,500 per eligible employee. The grant is given to the employer,
who can choose whether to do the training in-house or hire an outside
firm or contractor.
The Bill
J. Priest Institute for Economic Development offers free application
assistance for this program.
Dallas
has a growing pool of qualified labor
While Sales and
Marketing Management's 1997 estimate of the city of Dallas population
is 1,043,100, the North Central Texas
Council of Government's (NCTCOG) January 1, 1998, estimate is 1,052,300.
Regardless of which figure you use, Dallas is the ninth largest city in
the United States - and its ever-expanding population provides the backbone
for the city's growing workforce.
The labor force participation
rate indicates the percentage of the Dallas population active in the civilian
workforce. More than 35,000 workers have been added to the Dallas civilian
labor force over the past four years. This is roughly a 6 percent increase
since 1995.
Major
Employment Centers in Dallas
The Dallas
Central Business District (CBD) Downtown employment now exceeds 120,000
workers, which represents over 18 percent of the total city of Dallas
labor force and is expected to be the number one employment center in
the Dallas/Fort Worth CMSA over the next 15 years.The North Central Texas
Council of Governments estimates job growth for the following submarket
areas in Dallas (top 10 ranked by total employment estimates for 2020):
Market
Area
|
1990
|
2020
|
%
Increase
|
CBD
- Downtown
|
113,400
|
134,900
|
19.0
|
North
Central Corridor-Upper
|
39,200
|
66,850
|
70.5
|
CBD
- Uptown
|
24,000
|
37,950
|
58.1
|
Brookhollow
|
21,650
|
36,100
|
66.7
|
Park
Central
|
14,650
|
30,400
|
107.5
|
Red
Bird Industrial Park
|
21,050
|
30,350
|
44.2
|
Love
Field
|
20,450
|
28,950
|
41.6
|
North
Central Corridor - Center
|
16,450
|
27,550
|
67.5
|
Central
Stemmons Corridor
|
21,450
|
26,400
|
23.1
|
Trinity
Industrial District
|
23,400
|
25,250
|
7.9
|
Source:
NCTCOG Research and Information Services, October 1996
Dallas Compared
to State of Texas Occupational Profile
The Dallas
workforce is comparable to the rest of the state in terms of current employment
distribution. The occupational profile of the city of Dallas workforce
is similar to the state distribution overall. Dallas has a slightly higher
percentage of administrative and managerial workers, professional specialties,
sales occupations and machine operators and assemblers.
Occupation
|
City
of Dallas 1999(%)
|
Services
|
30.9
|
Wholesale/Retail
Trade
|
24.3
|
Manufacturing
|
13.1
|
Government
|
11
|
Finance,
Insurance & Real Estate
|
8.2
|
Tranportation,
Communications & Utilities
|
6.8
|
Construction
|
5.2
|
Mining
|
.5
|
Source:
Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce
Average Annual
Pay For Large Metropolitan Areas
The Dallas PMSA workforce is well paid, compared to the other major metropolitan
areas in the United States, and its high levels of training, educational
attainment and work experience provide a significant low-cost advantage.
Comparative
Wage Index (by County)
Metropolitan
Area (PMSA)
|
2000
|
New
York, NY
|
76,403
|
Los
Angeles, CA
|
72,637
|
Santa
Clara, CA
|
64,031
|
Dallas,
TX
|
61,889
|
Maricopa,
AZ
|
54,388
|
Harris,
TX
|
50,599
|
Orange,
CA
|
49, 918
|
San
Diego, CA
|
37,983
|
King,
WA
|
36,632
|
Cook,
IL
|
35,074
|
Source:
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
Educational
Attainment in Dallas (age 25 and over)
Education
Level
|
1998
|
Less
than 9th grade
|
9%
|
High
School (without diploma)
|
13%
|
High
School diploma/GED
|
24%
|
Some
College
|
22%
|
Associate's
Degree
|
5%
|
Bachelor's
Degree
|
19%
|
Graduate/Professional
Degree
|
8%
|
Source:
Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce
New Jobs
Since 1990,
almost one in six new jobs (more than 167,000) in Texas has been created
in the Dallas metropolitan area. The wholesale/retail trade and services
sectors have produced the most new jobs in the Dallas PMSA. In fact, employment
in services roughly doubled from 1980 to 1990. The percentages of manufacturing
and finance/insurance/real estate jobs have remained stable since 1991.
Commuting
to Work
Any location in Dallas is convenient to the qualified labor force.
Dallas workers average 24 minutes' travel time to work. The 1990 census
data reports that most workers in Dallas (87.7%) drive to work (including
driving alone and carpooling). Significantly fewer workers use public
transportation (6.7%) or other means (5.6%) to commute to work including
walking, bicycling and working at home. Workers'
modes of travel are changing due to the DART light rail line, which opened
in June 1996. The 20-mile light rail starter system extends into South
Oak Cliff, West Oak Cliff and North Dallas from the Downtown Dallas transitway
mall; each weekday, an average of 36,300 people ride the DART light rail.
Other State/Federal
Employer Resources
Labor Laws
Unemployment
Insurance Taxes
Employment
Taxes
Worker's Compensation Insurance
Discrimination
Immigration
Hiring
Minimum
Wage Requirements
State
Safety and Health Rules
Private
Pension and Welfare Plans
Texas
Workforce Commission's excellent guide for Texas Employers
Miscellaneous Requirements,
Acts, and Guidelines
Family
and Medical Leave Act
Americans
with Disabilities Act
Employee
Polygraph Protection Act
Plant Closing
Laws
Veteran's
Reemployment Rights
Garnishment
of Wages
Points
to Remember about Workforce in the Development
Process
Things to consider when evaluating human resources in a
location
One of the greatest
challenges facing companies today is finding the right people for the
job. In a tight labor market, a growing company has several options for
solving employee shortage problems:
- Expansion
- Relocation
- Consolidation
- Outsourcing
A great company wants
to be recognized by current and prospective employees. It takes more than
high wages to do it. Employees also evaluate several other factors:
- Challenging workplace
environment
- Opportunities to
advance/improve skills
- Location/ease of
commute to work
- Recruiting methods
- Benefits and other
non-wage compensation
- Company community
involvement record
- Corporate/organization
culture
By the same token,
companies looking for a new location need to be able to evaluate their
potential workforce. Certain industries may value some factors over others,
but there are global concerns about workforce that need to be addressed
in order to make a fair assessment:
- Quality
Educational attainment
Productivity
Basic skills
Stability
- Training and
education
Number and structure of vocational programs
Quality and quantity of continuing education in the area
Existence of special training programs for semi-skilled workers
- Cost
Average salaries by occupational classification
Benefits
Incentives
Overtime
- Market
Competitor practices concerning non-wage benefits
Reputation of co-competitors
Recruitment practices
Work environment
- Demand
Growth (industry and occupational)
Number of expansions
- Supply
Number of college graduates per year
Number of qualified entry-level candidates
Number of experienced personnel
Number of technicians and/or professional candidates
- Quality of life
Crime rate
Culture
Cost of living
Housing supply and affordability
Schools
- Labor laws
Occupational regulations
Unemployment insurance
Worker's compensation
- Unions
Percentage of unionized workers
Union activity (within an industry)
- Ask state employment
bureaus and personnel agencies to provide information on average wages
and benefits for a wide range of occupational classifications. You also
need to take into consideration local procedures regarding benefits,
because employees will expect similar treatment from companies in the
area.
- Obtaining information
about the type and location of labor in a given area is a vital part
of site development. The Census Bureau, local councils of government,
and local employment agencies can help you obtain data on the number
of qualified workers live within commuting distance of your company,
un- and under-employment in the area, and part-time/seasonal workers.
- Make contact with
state employment agencies. Ask them for statistical data on employees,
such as turnover, absenteeism, productivity, and loyalty rates.
- The National Labor
Relations Board is a reliable source of information on union activity,
members, and management styles in your proposed area. Inquire about
union elections and officials, as well as work stoppage statistics for
your particular industry and locale.
Workforce
Links
Demographics
Employment Rates
Employment Services
Worker's Compensation
Unemployment Insurance
Labor Laws
Education and Training
Universities and Colleges
Training Programs
Wages and Salaries
Labor Legislation
Unionization
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