Tyler's employment rate at highest point in 6 years (San Antonio, Plano: sales, 2014)

[Metro Matt]

Last month’s employment rate of 95.2 percent was the highest the Tyler area has seen in six years.

The last time the area had an employment rate of 95 percent or more was June 2008...

Tyler Morning Telegraph - Tyler's employment rate at highest point in 6 years

[Mark Senior]

Tyler's paper is the only source I've seen that reports these figures in reverse, compared to, again, every other source. The easier figure is report the smaller number, the unemployment number. Tyler 4.8% Longview much better, 4.3%. If you look at the Texas Workforce Commission Website. It has the largest 26 metro area figures ranked best unemployment to least best, lol, Longview was 10th best Tyler 18th. Which has been the positioning for several years. Tyler has been as low as last, to stuck around 21-23 rank. Longview growth May 2014 to May 2013, the yearly growth was 14th Tyler 15th, recently they have traded positions, prior to that Longview got up to 5th-6th. Now, Tyler has lost 4-5 thousand good paying manufacturing jobs. The medical field has "tried" to replace the totals lost. Again it's big front page news, like this week when Trane, was to hire 55, get it, 55 permanent jobs. Centene Corp., yes was huge news for 2 years in the news, when they announced hire 400 plus in Tyler. The city officials failed to announce, as the mayor told me prior to this, if gov.Rick Perry doesn't give us the 900,000 or 1,300.000 million bucks out of the State something enterprise fund, then the company is going to Alabama, he did, Tyler got the jobs.

I guess the state believes some funds go to each city that has paid sales taxes to the state. So that was probably the last money for a while, years? Oh the gov. does not, as he should not, give money to one city competing with another Texas city. Only those cities in Texas competing with those outside Texas. Like the gov. gave San Antonio major bucks to land the Toyota plant there several years back.

I still feel it strange, in a way, that the governor will give money to Tyler, which won't help itself do much to land jobs, but rather be debt free and have the lowest city property tax rate, not just one of the LOWER tax rates and use .02 or .03 cents of the tax rate each year to create jobs which would lead to increase the property tax base, which would increase tax revenue.

City Council, Mayors "stay the course" on this position
Even Mayor Seeber prior to Mrs. Bass, said Tyler doesn't need to try to create jobs, companies just "come here" 'cause they want to. See Dee, I don't always have positive things to say about Tyler, or from my point of view anyway.

[KathrynAragon]

A 4.8 unemployment rate is a pretty darn good rate any way you slice it.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

A 4.8 unemployment rate is a pretty darn good rate any way you slice it.

Yes it is but in this case, this month, all the rates were good and Tyler with all good reports is still only 18th out of 26th and can't live up to all my hoopla.

Just upset, shouldn't be I know, that the city has to have the best city property tax rate, not one of the best rates, accepting as a consequence of that choice, below to at best average job growth. You could have a slightly higher tax rate and have much job creation by spending the needed cash or give property that is necessary to compete. Again even Plano with all their "natural appeal" to expansion/new companies had to give more/over beyond a tax exemption to attract Toyota, in their case I think the expensive land was free to Toyota. Just one of the incentives I remember.

I'm just repeating what Tom Mullins Chief of Economic Development shared with me over the phone. No, he want not put it writing, wants to keep his job. He might, if asked, what would help him gain more jobs for Tyler, then he, I think, would have to bring this up.