Report: El Paso wages up, unemployment down; City lags behind major cities
A new report released by Workforce Solutions Borderplex shows El Paso wages lag behind other major U.S. cities.
However, the report also shows that things are getting better in the county.
In 2012, the average weekly wage was $668 and the unemployment rate was 9.5 percent. Conversely, in 2017, the average weekly wage was $725 and the unemployment rate was 4.7 percent.
The report broke down El Paso wages by comparing El Paso to cities in three different categories.
Major Metros: (El Paso is lowest paid city in 32 occupations out of 58)
Austin Dallas Fort Worth San Antonio Phoenix Denver Detroit
Border Cities: (El Paso is lowest paid city in 2 occupations out of 58)
San Diego Nogales Douglas Columbus Del Rio Eagle Pass Laredo McAllen Brownsville
Regional cities: (El Paso is lowest paid city in 10 occupations out of 58)
Lubbock Midland Odessa Las Cruces Albuquerque Tucson
If you take a look at how nurses are paid in El Paso compared to other cities, it’s fairly interesting. Registered nurses in 18 other cities make more than they do in El Paso. That means El Paso registered nurses only earn more than those in Lubbock, Midland, Las Cruces and Douglas.
Georgina Reyes, a nurse at University Medical Center, told ABC-7 she has worked as a nurse elsewhere, but is satisfied by her work in El Paso.
“I have had the opportunity to work in Fort Worth, actually, but I don’t feel like I’m able to give as much to my patients, to my community, as I am here – being bilingual, being from the same background.”
The only occupation in El Paso that earns more than in other major cities is pharmacist.
Local officials say the silver lining is El Paso’s wages are competitive compared to other border cities. They also point to positive trends.
“The low unemployment here is probably the lowest sustained unemployment that this community and region has had in decades,” said Workplace Solutions CEO Joyce Wilson, “We’re really excited about that.”
