Dallas Overview

From the more formal Dallas to the more laid-back Fort Worth, the Dallas-Fort Worth area (known as the Metroplex) has a labor force of about 3 million. The area offers a mix of cultures as well as a strong base of technology companies. The Dallas job market is solid and improving.

Dallas Job Opportunities

Dallas is home to a broad range of businesses, including energy, technology and finance companies; a popular and centrally located convention location; and a melting pot of cultures and lifestyles. These attributes helped make Dallas the second fastest-growing US city (behind Houston) over the past decade.

The trade, transportation and utilities sector drives Dallas employment followed by professional/business services, government and education/health services. Over the past year, government was the only sector to report a significant loss of jobs in Dallas, while the other sectors showed strong single-digit year-over-year expansion.

Dallas Employment Trends

Employment in Dallas has remained strong relative to the nation’s, though hiring dipped during the recession. This trend is reflected in the Dallas area’s online hiring, which was depressed yet still remained solid and is now on the upswing. Jobs in the Dallas area declined during 2009 and the first half of 2010, but have grown steadily since then. The Dallas unemployment rate, which is trending downward, hit a three-year low of 6.5 percent in April 2012.

Dallas jobs are expected to increase 2.3 percent between Q2 2012 and Q2 2013, more than the 1.3 percent gain expected in the US job supply, Moody’s Analytics forecasts.