Nueces County
The key private industries in
Nueces County are health care,
accommodation and food services,
and retail trade. The health care and
social assistance sector accounts for 17
percent of all jobs in the county, and the
hospitality sector accounts for another 12
percent. The government sector is also
relatively large, with Corpus Christi Army
Depot as one of the largest employers in
the county.
Employment Growth 2008-13 by Industry
Government
Other Services (except Public Admin)
Accommodation & Food Services
Arts & Recreation
Health Care & Social Assistance
Educational Services (Private)
Administrative & Support
Management of Businesses
Professional & Scientific Services
Real Estate & Rental
Finance & Insurance
Information
Transportation & Warehousing
Retail Trade
Wholesale Trade
Manufacturing
Construction
Utilities
Mining
Agriculture
Since oil and gas drilling activity
picked up in 2010, businesses that directly
support oil and gas extraction have added
a total of about 2,500 jobs in Nueces
county. Along with construction activity
that supports oil and gas production, the
development of electric power plants
and a steel mill has added considerable
workforce demand for in the region’s
Millions
Sales
Volume, $mil (left scale)
-25%
-20%
-15%
-10%
-5%
construction industry. As the state and
national economies began to recover from
the 2007-2009 recession, the county’s
Y-o-Y % Change (right scale)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
tourism or hospitality sector—a mainstay
of the local economy—has revved up
rapidly.
Home Starts
100%
1,800
16,000
80%
1,600
14,000
60%
1,400
40%
1,200
20%
1,000
18,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
0%
6,000
4,000
-20%
2,000
-40%
0
-60%
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
800
600
400
200
0
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Nueces county appears to have
dodged most economic effects from the
2007-2008 financial crisis and the ensuing
global recession. Local business sales
quickly regained traction after a plunge
28
|
in early 2009. The county’s sales volume
reached a post-recession peak in mid2012, and then stabilized throughout
2013. Residential and industrial
construction has also kept the local
Annual Review of the South Texas Economy – 2014 Edition
economy afloat. New home construction
began to take off in early 2012. In 2013, 14
percent more home permits were issued in
the county than the previous year.