Texas has cultivated a business climate second to none, earning honors from national news outlets like Forbes and MSNBC for economic strength and business-friendly policies. More importantly, Texas has been consistently attracting employers seeking a better place to start or expand their businesses.

The Lone Star State's combination of low taxes, reasonable and predictable regulatory structure and fair court system provides a stable base upon which to build the Texas economy, while the state's diverse and hard-working workforce is prepared to meet any need an employer can present.

At Gov. Perry's urging, the Legislature has established and consistently funded two additional tools to attract and create Texas jobs - the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) and Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). The TEF functions as a "deal closing" fund, enabling Texas to compete directly with incentives offered elsewhere in the country, its investments tied directly to job creation. Meanwhile, the ETF helps early-stage tech companies grow their ideas from the laboratory into the marketplace, in the process helping keep Texas at the forefront of new technologies.

Action Items

»  Gov. Perry signed legislation for Lawsuit Reform, with components of Loser Pays (HB 274), which strengthens the jobs-friendly climate here in Texas.
»  Texas continues to buck the national unemployment trend, by adding 262,000 jobs from June 2009 to 2011. (USA Today)
»  Texas moved past New York over the past decade to become the nation's second-largest economy. (USA Today - June 2011)
»  Texas dominate’s Kiplinger’s Cities with the Lowest Cost of Living list in 2011. (Kiplinger)
»  The Lone Star Jobs Surge: The Texas model added 37% of all net U.S. jobs since the recovery began. (Wall Street Journal - June 2011)

News & Announcements

• Wednesday, May 02, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  CEO Magazine Ranks Texas Best State for Business for Eighth Consecutive Year
  Texas has been ranked the top state for job growth and business development for the eighth year in a row in Chief Executive Magazine's annual survey of CEOs. The survey asked 650 CEOs to rank the best states for business based on a wide range of criteria, from taxation and regulation to workforce quality and living environment.
• Friday, April 20, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  Texas Music Office Announces Live Music Grant Program
  The Texas Music Office, a division of the Office of the Governor, today announced the creation of the Live Music Grant Program, which will fund free, live-music concerts across the state. The program is made possible by a settlement from the Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust litigation and does not utilize taxpayer dollars.
• Thursday, April 19, 2012 • Lake Jackson, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry Announces TEF Investment in Dow Chemical to Create 150 New Jobs in Brazoria County
  
  
  Gov. Rick Perry announced that The Dow Chemical Co. will create 150 new jobs and $1.7 billion in capital investment with the location of a hydrocarbon cracker in Brazoria County. The governor was joined by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Dow CEO and Chairman Andrew Liveris and lawmakers, where he announced the state is investing $1 million through the Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) to close the deal on this project.
• Wednesday, April 11, 2012 • Belton, Texas • Press Release
  Gov. Perry: Veterans are a Valuable Resource for our Communities and Labor Force
  
  
  Gov. Rick Perry highlighted the important role veterans play in Texas’ economy and expanding high-tech community. The governor spoke at the groundbreaking for CGI Group Inc.’s U.S. onshore delivery center in Belton, which received a $1.8 million Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) investment in November 2011 to create 350 new jobs and $7 million in capital investment, and emphasized a focus on recruiting veterans and military family members.
• Monday, April 02, 2012 • Austin, Texas • Press Release
  ICYMI… Austin American Statesman: ‘State Jobs Picture Moves Past Recovery into Expansion, Experts Say’
  The Austin American Statesman recently released an article citing new jobs numbers from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas that show Texas' jobs market continues to see growth, moving beyond economic recovery and into economic expansion.
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