Virtually every Austinite who reads, watches, or hears the news knows Austin’s job market is continuing to grow. Austin recently landed expansions from companies such as Apple and National Instruments, and these types of hiring opportunities have kept the unemployment rate hovering around 5%, well below that of the United States and most other cities in the nation. And, it seems with the jobs come even more people seeking a desirable Austin lifestyle, as Austin was just reported as the #1 city in the nation for population growth.
In January 2013, the Texas Workforce Commission and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the Austin metro area added over 35,000 jobs in the rolling 12 month period ending November 2012. This 4.4% growth rate ranks Austin at the top of the nation’s largest metro areas. NerdWallet.com even ranked Austin the "Best City for Job Seekers."
Tech, manufacturing, and healthcare are some of the largest industries in Austin, with major companies such as Dell, which makes its home in north Austin, plus IBM, 3M, Seton Family of Hospitals, Applied Materials, and Google. Austin local giant Whole Foods, in its trendy central Austin home, is clearly a key player, as is the friendly startup environment that draws so many creatives and entrepreneurs to town.
The National Instruments expansion alone is slated to bring 1,000 new technical and engineering jobs to Austin (and NI will spend $80 million in the process, to expand its Texas research and development complex.) Who else has announced expansions? The Austin Chamber of Commerce compiled a list of the 2012 announced Austin business expansions and relocations:
Abadak Outdoors
Outdoor products online sales & distribution
25
Taylor
New
American Campus Communities
Student housing services (Hdq.)
100
Austin
Expanded
Apple
Computer maker's tech & admin support center
3,635
Austin
New/ Expanded
Atlantic Coast Polymers
Polymer mfg. for water treatment industry (Hdq.)
30
Lockhart
Expanded
Audingo
Social media communication service (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
Battlecry Studios
Game development studio (Hdq.)
10
Austin
New
Berry Aviation
Aircraft charter, maintenance & FBO (Hdq.)
20
San Marcos
Expanded
BigCommerce
e-commerce solutions (Hdq.)
70
Austin
Expanded
Bigelow Homes
Residential home developer & builder (Hdq.)
12
San Marcos
New
BikeValet
Conveyorized bike storage device mfg. (Hdq.)
10
Taylor
New
Bloomfire
Social learning management software developer
25
Austin
Expanded
Cadillac Jack
Casino gaming systems software developer
25
Austin
New
Calxeda (formerly Smooth-Stone)
Semiconductor chip developer focused low-power processor chips for the server market (Hdq.)
80
Austin
Expanded
Cirrus Logic
Semiconductor chip design, for audio, PCs & power meters (Hdq.)
95
Austin
Expanded
Civitas Learning
Higher education performance analytics software (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
DiFusion Technologies
Medical device developer for orthopedic implants (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
EIEIO
Coffee beverage & food dispensing systems manufacturer
20
Pflugerville
Expanded
Codero
Managed hosting & cloud computing
12
Austin
New
Eloqua
Software & analytics for marketing
28
Austin
Expanded
Emergo Group
Consultant for medical device process & product certification (Hdq.)
70
Austin
Expanded
Endo Health Solutions
Healthcare company's finance shared services center
30
Austin
New
Famigo
Family game developer (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
General Motors
IT innovation center, vehicle applications & business processes
500
Austin
New
Go Green International
Biomass recycling, pelletized fuel mfg. (Hdq.)
75
Bastrop County
New
Headspring Systems
Customized software development (Hdq.)
24
Austin
Expanded
HID Global
Secure identity products & technology manufacturer
276
Austin
New
Indeed
Online job search website
90
Austin
Expanded
iResearch
Technology research firm for patents (Hdq.)
15
Austin
Expanded
Javelin
Mixed-signal ICs developer for wireless communications (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
Kabam
Social game developer
130
Austin
New
Kimbia
Web-based software for fundraising campaigns (Hdq.)
20
Austin
Expanded
Kin Valley
Social network for families (Hdq.)
10
Austin
New
Kinnser Software
Software development for home health care industry (Hdq.)
60
Austin
Expanded
Lumeris
Information technology services/ software for health care industry
100
Austin
New
MapMyFitness
Social media developer (Hdq.)
50
Austin
Expanded
Mass Relevance
Social media message management, especially Twitter (Hdq.)
15
Austin
Expanded
Mitratech
Enterprise legal management software solutions (Hdq.)
120
Austin
New
Netspend
Credit card processing & marketing services (Hdq.)
40
Austin
Expanded
New Era Portfolio
Fine art print mfg. (Hdq.)
35
Austin
Expanded
nGenx
Cloud based computing, product management division
10
Austin
New
Other World Computing
Computer hardware design & sales
50
Austin
New
OtherInbox
Email mgt software (Hdq.)
26
Austin
Expanded
PeopleAdmin
HR mgt software (Hdq.)
40
Austin
Expanded
Plastic Kegs America
Plastic beverage keg mfg.
10
Georgetown
New
PrintGlobe
Printing & promotional services (Hdq.)
20
Austin
Expanded
Progressive Insurance
Insurance (call center)
185
Austin
Expanded
Quarri Technologies
Internet security software developer (Hdq.)
10
Austin
Expanded
QuickDash
Financial bookkeeping software developer (Hdq.)
25
Austin
Expanded
Revionics
Retail software (SaaS, price optimization) product dev & training
30
Austin
New
Samsung Austin Semiconductor
Semiconductor chip mfg., R&D (Hdq.)
25
Austin
Expanded
Sapling Learning
Interactive software for college-level science education (Hdq.)
30
Austin
Expanded
SecureNet Payment Systems
Payment solutions provider's technology & innovation center
200
Austin
New
Socialware
Social media management software (Hdq.)
50
Austin
Expanded
Summit Hotel Properties
Real estate investment trust, hotels (Hdq.)
20
Bee Cave
New
Tableau Software
Data analysis software
150
Austin
New
TASUS Texas Corp.
Auto parts (injection-molded plastic) mfg.
40
Georgetown
Expanded
Techarati
Mobile app software development (Hdq.)
16
Austin
New
Transverse
Business support solutions/software for telecom industry (Hdq.)
20
Austin
Expanded
Union Pacific
Freight rail carrier, engineering operations
45
Austin
New
Unwired Nation
Cross platform website conversion tool (Hdq.)
15
Austin
Expanded
Whaleshark Media
Online deals & coupon purveyor (Hdq.)
70
Austin
Expanded
Whole Foods
Grocery retailer (Hdq.) (corporate)
70
Austin
Expanded
Yodle (formerly Profit Fuel)
Online/interactive marketing technology & services
400
Austin
New/ Expanded
Zello
Mobile communication app developer (Hdq.)
50
Austin
New
Zenoss
Custom computer programming services (Hdq.)
75
Austin
Expanded
Ziften Technologies
Software developer, network efficiency tool (Hdq.)
15
Austin
Expanded