Cyclical Differences Emerge in Border City Economies

The Texas-Mexico border is a fast-growing region, a complex blend of U.S. and Mexican cultures, languages and customs. It is a dynamic area that has benefited from a large and growing population in northern Mexico, rapid growth in U.S.-Mexico trade and a tenfold increase in maquiladora industry acti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Policy File 2005
Main Authors: Canas, Jesus, Coronado, Roberto, Lopez, Jose Joaquin
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
Economic policy
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Online Access:Request full text
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Summary:The Texas-Mexico border is a fast-growing region, a complex blend of U.S. and Mexican cultures, languages and customs. It is a dynamic area that has benefited from a large and growing population in northern Mexico, rapid growth in U.S.-Mexico trade and a tenfold increase in maquiladora industry activity over the past two decades. Total population in the four Texas border metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs)--Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo and McAllen--is about 1.8 million, and population growth since 1980 has been 65 percent, versus 24 percent nationally. A high birthrate and young population suggest that the border will continue its rapid growth. This article describes the business cycles of the four main Texas border cities and, based on their economies' similarities and differences, relates them to the broader economies of the United States, Mexico and Texas.