U.S. Job Rate Remains Stagnant; Panhandle Fairs Well
By: Sarah Hurwitz
Updated: July 12, 2012
Matt Ramsey, Amarillo Bank Vice President says we've got problems.
"Our economy right now is plagued by too much debt like much of the rest of the world."
The national average still needs some work.
And while we have added some jobs, Ramsey says there's a lot of room for improvement.
"We're fighting globally deflation and I define that as way too much debt and not enough economic activity.
But here in the Panhandle we're fairing pretty well.
Chamber of Commerce President, Gary Molberg says things look positive for Amarillo.
"If you do a comparison to the United States and the state of Texas we're below them so that's always very positive. So the people I'm talking with, the real estate, the retailers, oil and gas, and agriculture, business is very good in Amarillo we're very pleased with it.
Amarillo is sitting at 4.8 percent for unemployment.
That's nearly half of the national average.
Amarillo did actually increase in the amount unemployed by point four percent since May.
But that doesn't worry experts.
"We're not leaning on one industry to make or break us if you want to use that term," Molberg says.
Experts say the diverse sectors are what drive the Panhandle economy and that local business thrives here.
