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Houston Matters

Does Houston’s Economic Growth Have a Dark Side?

Late last month, Forbes magazine published its list of the fastest growing U.S. cities for 2015. Houston ranked No. 1. Austin was No. 2. Dallas was third. Fort Worth and San Antonio also cracked the top ten. The list is based on population growth, employment data, and other economic indicators. Even with oil prices dropping […]

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Late last month, Forbes magazine published its list of the fastest growing U.S. cities for 2015. Houston ranked No. 1. Austin was No. 2. Dallas was third. Fort Worth and San Antonio also cracked the top ten. The list is based on population growth, employment data, and other economic indicators.

Even with oil prices dropping precipitously in the last several months, there's still a sense that economically, Houston – and these other major cities in Texas – are only growing.

And yet: Dr. Mark Frank, an economics professor at Sam Houston State University has research indicating Texas is in the top ten in income inequality in the nation.

Does topping Forbes' list offer us confidence about Houston's economic future? Do recent oil company layoffs mean we're headed for a downturn, or are we just slightly less successful? Does Dr. Frank’s research suggest economic success in Texas is only for some of us? So, just what is the truth about our economy?

Today, we seek the truth, as we talk with Dr. Mark Frank, researcher Patrick Jankowski from the Greater Houston Partnership, and Houston Public Media business reporter Andrew Schneider. We welcome your thoughts as well.

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Michael Hagerty

Michael Hagerty

Senior Producer, Houston Matters

Michael Hagerty is the senior producer for Houston Matters. He's spent more than 20 years in public radio and television and dabbled in minor league baseball, spending four seasons as the public address announcer for the Reno Aces, the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

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