The area workforce is heavily concentrated in the manufacturing, services, and trade sectors. Manufacturing and the warehouse/distribution employment accounts for 20% of all jobs in the labor force. A highly skilled labor force contributes to this area’s high manufacturing base with more than 200 manufacturers in a 40-mile radius. Of the major manufacturing companies in this area, 31% are involved in machinery manufacturing and 24% in fabricated metal products manufacturing.
*Represented by ten or more companies in area
The Kilgore area has an excellent educational system producing quality talent every year. High schools in the Kilgore area labor market graduate 5,000 students annually. Approximately 25% of area graduates move directly into the job market upon graduation. The remaining, often attend one of the many area institutions of higher learning. Fifteen colleges and universities are located within the area and have an average annual enrollment of 40,000--providing an additional resource of qualified applicants.
.jpg)
| 1990 Census | 2000 Census | 2009 Estimate | 2014 Projection | |
| Grade K-8 | 10,778 | 7,130 | 8,962 | 9,306 |
| Grade 9-12 | 18,981 | 18,232 | 12,544 | 11,153 |
| High School | 31,091 | 35,738 | 44,340 | 44,283 |
| Some College | 24,690 | 30,069 | 30,594 | 31,987 |
| Associates Degree | 8,030 | 8,333 | 9,532 | 9,885 |
| Bachelor's Degree | 10,821 | 13,822 | 18,121 | 18,978 |
| Graduate Degree | 5,651 | 6,752 | 8,179 | 8,562 |
| No Schooling Completed | 1,844 |
Because Texas is a right-to-work state, employees cannot be forced to join or not to join, nor pay dues to a labor union as a requirement for employment. Texas, one of 21 right-to-work states, has low union membership compared to its neighbors. Kilgore has no union representation among its primary employers, and compared with its neighbors, Texas has a fairly low union representation rate of 6.7%. According to the Department of Labor, Arkansas has a rate of 7.7%, Louisiana has a rate of 10.1%, and Oklahoma 9.4%.
The East Texas Workforce Center (ETWC) functions as a one-stop shop designed to meet the needs of its clients. Employers are able to benefit from the ETWC in the following ways:
East Texas Workforce Center Employer Services
Export table as CSV