Waco is Leading Texas in Getting Back to Pre-COVID Employment Numbers

One Central Texas city is experiencing growth despite the nation's struggle to bounce back from the pandemic.

According to a report from KXXV, the city of Waco is the first in the state to reach pre-pandemic employment levels. If you live here in Central Texas, then I'm sure you're aware work here never ends, no matter what's going on in the world around us.

Employment is up .06% from March 2020 to March 2021, and while it may not seem like an impressive number, other cities and states have seen employment hitting record lows into the negatives.

It may be our Central Texan work ethic, but it also may be due to the fact that new businesses are continuing to build.

Dutch Bro's coffee recently updated their locations on their site, and have listed a new location opening soon in Waco at 901 S. 6th Street. Dutch Bro's coffee also plans to open two locations in Temple at  201 N. General Bruce Drive and 6520 W. Adams Ave. Official opening dates have yet to be announced.

A report from Restaurant News also states that a new restaurant, Slim Chickens, is opening at at 5804 Bosque Blvd. Previously the building was home to Bella Luna Italian Bistro for a short time, and before that Chili's Bar and Grill.

“Waco has a warm, hometown feel and is always growing,” said Mark Coleman, the owner. “Working with the community to bring our fresh, delicious food has been such a great experience, and everyone is very excited about the opening. We are looking forward to bringing superior customer service and a new concept to Waco.”

Plus, according to a report from our news partners at KWTX, Uzin Utz North America, Inc., has broken ground at the intersection of Mars Drive and Texas Central Parkway in Waco to build a flooring plant. The company hopes to bring about 40 jobs over the next couple of years.

So despite the pandemic, Central Texas' employment and jobs are looking pretty good.