Office of Economic Development Offers a Look at Where Dallas Lives, Works and Spends

A couple of months back the council's Economic Development Committee got a look at Dallas's workforce and jobs courtesy the Office of Economic Development, which asked: Does the city have the "wrong workforce or the wrong jobs?" Said the briefing, reiterating a familiar catchphrase uttered in recent years, the city's done better than the country following the economic catastrophe of 2008, but slowly the city's unemployment rate "is converging" to the national stats.

This afternoon that discussion continues: The Budget, Finance, and Audit Committee find themselves face-to-face with Daniel Oney, a researcher in the OED who comes bearing a mixed bag of info titled "Economic Overview and Fiscal Links," which is more riveting than the title suggests. With charts, graphs and maps Oney breaks down what's being torn down and built up and where ("New construction permits for single family units have been completed all over the city, with concentrations in Preston Hollow area of north Dallas and in-town neighborhoods near the Central Business District"), who's spending how much in which part of town and who's coming and going when it comes to workforce and plain ol' population.

One page shows where apartments have been razed, creating what the OED calls "population-loss hot spots." Further down's a look at single-family home sale, which reveals that the "number of active listings [is] down 17-32% in all areas except Oak Lawn, which is only down 5% since October 2010." Also: "East Dallas is by far the most active area, with the most sales and the most active listings. Third highest $/sq ft." Tune in at 1:30 for the whole ball of melting wax.