No labor pains

Dallas job market earns No. 4 ranking in the U.S., bouncing back to pre-pandemic level

Dallas got back to work.

Photo by Joe Daniel Price/Getty Images

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to hammer job markets around the country. But not Dallas and Fort Worth. In November, the Dallas area, Fort Worth-Arlington area, and eight other major metros in the U.S. surpassed the number of jobs they had before the pandemic, a new report says.

Austin was No. 2 in the U.S. and top-ranked in Texas. San Antonio was also in the top 10.

From February 2020 to November 2021, Dallas-Plano-Irving posted a job growth rate of 4.1 percent, landing the area at No. 4 on the jobs list of the best-performing markets among the top 50 metros, according to the report.

In the same time period, Fort Worth-Arlington recorded a job growth rate of 2.2 percent, landing the area at No. 5.

The report comes from the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Booming Austin posted a job growth rate of 4.11 percent, landing the Capital City at No. 2 among the top 50 metros, slightly below the 4.14 percent rate for the No. 1 rated Salt Lake City area, according to the chamber’s report.

Employers like Amazon, Dell, H-E-B, and Tesla have contributed to the Central Texas area's robust job growth.

But, back to Dallas-Fort Worth. In November 2021, the Dallas area had 2,813,200 jobs, compared with 2,735,400 in February 2020, right before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic.

In November 2021, the Fort Worth-Arlington area had 1,127,800 jobs, compared with 1,103,400 in pre-pandemic February 2020.

"Statewide, over the last 12 months, all private industries added jobs," the report says.

The numbers are not as encouraging in Houston, which experienced a negative 2 percent change, but still landing it in 27th place among the 50 biggest metro areas.

Despite Houston’s job market not having rebounded to its pre-pandemic level, Austin-based job website Indeed recently ranked Houston one of the best U.S. cities for recent graduates seeking employment. Indeed cited opportunities in Houston sectors such as aerospace, aviation, and digital technology.

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Animal News

Wills Point, Texas man charged with cruelty for abandoning 18 animals

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Lucas Wayne Penrod, charged with animal cruelty

Another animal cruelty case has emerged from Van Zandt County, resulting in the arrest of a Wills Point man: Lucas Wayne Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

It began on Friday, October 24, when the Wills Point Police Department performed a welfare check at a mobile home within the city limits. Officers became concerned when they heard multiple dogs barking along with a foul odor of animal waste.

On October 25, after obtaining a search warrant, Wills Point PD and the SPCA of Texas ACI Unit entered the residence and found multiple animals living in deplorable conditions.

The mobile home was filled with trash and animal feces. The team discovered a total of 8 cats, 2 guinea pigs, 4 adult dogs, and 4 puppies, cruelly confined to the unsanitary living conditions on the property.

Two dogs were confined to filthy crates with no access to water.
Three puppies were in a small bathroom covered in urine and feces; one of the puppies was deceased and decomposing.
The guinea pigs were found in a cage without access to food or water.

Most of the animals showed signs of long-term neglect and were in dire need of urgent medical intervention. The animals were seized by the SPCA of Texas and transported to the organization's Dallas location for veterinary care.

Dog in cage Wills Point Lucas Wayne Penrod Dog abandoned in Wills Point by Lucas Wayne Penrod.SPCA

On October 26, Lucas Wayne Penrod, the owner of the animals, contacted an SPCA of Texas Investigator regarding the animals. The Investigator determined that Penrod had unlawfully allegedly abandoned the animals, failing to provide them with proper care, resulting in the death of one of the puppies and the critical state of the surviving animals.

On October 28, the SPCA of Texas Animal Cruelty Investigations (ACI) Unit obtained an arrest warrant for Penrod, who was apprehended by Tyler Police Department and booked into the Smith County Jail with a $50K bond. Penrod was charged with Cruelty to Nonlivestock Animals, a 3rd degree felony.

On November 1, at a civil custody hearing at the Van Zandt County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 courthouse in Wills Point, Penrod relinquished custody of the 18 allegedly abandoned, cruelly treated animals to the SPCA.

"The squalid conditions these beautiful animals were living in were abhorrent--locked in spaces without food or water, in their own excrement," said SPCA of Texas ACI Unit Chief Investigator Courtney Burns, CAWA. "This is some of the worst mistreatment of domestic animals I've seen in my extensive career in animal cruelty investigations. In no small part, these pets owe their lives to the Wills Point Police Department. If it wasn’t for their quick thinking to involve us right away, I don't think the animals would have made it."

"This case perfectly illustrates the team effort that investigating and prosecuting animal cruelty cases in Texas is," Burns added. "We are extremely thankful to the Tyler Police Department for their efficient assistance in apprehending Penrod so that he can be brought to justice in the timeliest manner possible. And we are especially grateful to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office and court system with whom we continue to partner to get justice for abused animals in their jurisdiction."