The Austin Job Market Takes Hit with Education Cuts

TheAustin job market is likely to begin reeling as it deals with new employment losses occurring throughout Texas. According to reports, it is estimated that 32,000 school employees will lose their jobs. About 12,000 of them are teachers and many have already lost their job. The cuts are necessary, government officials say, which is why the state slashed the $5.4 billion in education cuts to make the move. More so, there are more cuts likely to happen.

Governor Seeks Aid

The Texas governor is looking for solutions. Gov. Rick Perry is hoping to call a special session of the legislature in the hope of tapping into the state's rainy day fund, which currently has $7.3 billion in it. His goal is to use the funds to pay for the gaps in funding in the education funding plans. However, whether or not this will happen remains to be seen. The legislature did not agree to do the same thing last summer. At that time, Perry opposed the use of the funds for this need.

What could this mean to jobs in the state? In a state that is already hurting for employment positions, the loss of 32,000 jobs could be big. More so, since these are state-wide cuts, those losing their jobs are unlikely to find new positions in the short term, unless they move out of state or into non-publically funding schools. That's a tough move for many people.

Are you one of the teachers affected by this potential cut or that has already been cut? Do you see this funding move to be a good decision by the government if it should happen?