A $12.8 Billion Impact on North Texas Economy
Winter 2012 · Comment ·
Take UT Arlington out of North Texas and you’d have a big economic hole to fill.
An independent study by The Perryman Group concluded that the University has a $12.8 billion annual economic impact on the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and fuels more than 122,000 jobs in the area. Statewide, the numbers grow to $13.6 billion and almost 132,000 jobs.
UT Arlington’s impact, which includes spinoff research and alumni employed, reflects about 4 percent of the North Texas economy. Economic activity associated with the University leads to incremental tax receipts of about $310 million a year to local governments and $639 million to the state.
The report assessed data ranging from enrollment and ongoing operations to research activity and the workforce productivity of UT Arlington graduates, among other factors. Ray Perryman, president of The Perryman Group, says the study reinforces his earlier findings about the potential economic impact that additional Tier One institutions can have on Texas.
“When you look at the hard data, institutions like UT Arlington are major centers of employment and spinoff economic benefits,” he says. “They generate business activity and opportunities for their immediate region, and they are one of the state’s most important sources of talent and technology—critical components of a healthy economy.”
The University’s construction projects and campus improvements also generate a considerable economic stimulus. The report found that recent and ongoing construction has created a $502.7 million economic impact and 5,861 person-years of employment in North Texas.
