AQUA BOOK 2014 | Page 27

McMullen County BY THE NUMBERS 2013 Population 753 Employment 721 Unemployment Rate 3.1% Wages Per Employee $55,778 Average Personal Income $69,791 Sales Volume ($ mil) 4,656 Among all 10 Scientific Services 2.1% Finance & Insurance 2.1% Real Estate & Rental 2.1% Texas 6 4 2 2010 2011 2012 2013 0 2008 than doubled since 2008. Beginning in 2010, the unemployment rate has stayed around 3 percent, the lowest among all counties in the Coastal Bend. As with Live Oak county, most key economic indicators, such as employment and earnings, have Unclassified Industry 0.0% Government 16.7% Agriculture 8.9% Mining 24.1% Transportation & Warehousing 17.3% Information 0.0% U.S. 8 Industry Composition by Employment, 2013 Other Services (except Public Admin) Accommodation 2.1% & Food Services 2.1% Arts & Recreation 2.1% Health Care & Educational Social Assistance 2.1% Services (Private) 0.0% Administrative & Support 2.1% Management of Businesses Professional & 0.0% Change From 2008 2.3% 129.1% -2.4% 48.7% 66.8% 6546.3% Unemployment Rate Employment Growth communities in 70% the Coastal Bend, 60% McMullen county 50% has benefited the 40% most from the recent boom in 30% shale oil and gas 20% exploration. As part 10% of the Eagle Ford 0% 2008 2009 Shale production -10% zone, 29 oil and gas -20% rigs are currently running in this county. Twenty seven are oil rigs and two are gas rigs. The majority of those rigs (72%) operate with the horizontal drilling method. The county has fewer than 1,000 residents. Local employment has more Change From 2012 3.7% 4.6% 0.5% 5.8% 7.7% 48.8% Retail Trade 14.0% Utilities 0.0% Manufacturing 0.0% Construction 0.0% Wholesale Trade 2.1% 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 shown significant advancement in recent years. Wage earnings per employee almost doubled in the past five years, and household income rose even more. Employment in McMullen county has expanded remarkably along with the acceleration of shale oil and gas drilling activity. Employment increased more than 50 percent in 2011 as a number of new oil and gas wells began operation. Between 2010 and 2011, oil and gas extraction jobs in the area increased sharply from 18 to 68. By 2013, more than 100 individuals worked directly for oil and gas extraction. In support of the rising oil production locally, an increasing number of individuals work in trucking and pipeline transportation. The two gas stations with convenience stores have also expanded their business with the hiring of nearly 40, or 200 percent, more employees since 2008. With little slack in the community’s labor market, local shale oil and gas exploration has pushed its unemployment rate down below 4 percent since 2011. Annual Review of the South Texas Economy – 2014 Edition | 25