TYLER, Texas (KETK) - The July 2025 newsletter from UT Tyler's Hibbs Institute for Business & Economic Research gave an interesting snapshot of East Texas' economic growth from 2015 to 2023.

According to the Hibbs Institute, the value of all goods and services produced in East Texas, also known as the real gross domestic product, increased by 32.4% between 2015 and 2023. For the same period, the East Texas job market grew by 5.62%, adding around 26,000 jobs for East Texas workers.

"In 2018, East Texas grew by 9.1%, slightly ahead of Texas at 8.4%. Growth slowed in 2019, with East Texas expanding by just 0.2% and Texas by 2.9%. The 2020 pandemic caused major declines: 6.2% for East Texas and 3.3% for Texas," the Hibbs Institute newsletter said. "Both regions rebounded strongly in 2021 and

See Full Page