LAREDO, Texas - The Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Covarrubias, has published a study on the economic impact Texas A&M International University has on Webb County.
The center produces such a study every couple of years.
“TAMIU is the only university in the Texas A&M System that's on the border. So, it's the only truly international university, as its name states,” Covarrubias said.
Looking at the study, Covarrubias said: “We found that TAMIU generates $374 million as an economic impact on Webb County and supports nearly 6,300 jobs. So it's a pretty big economic footprint.”
Covarrubias continued: “For every dollar invested, an additional 76 cents is generated in regional economic activity. So, it's pretty impressive.”
TAMIU also has an impact on employment opportunities, the study states.
“What TAMIU does, it has an employment multiplier of 1.21, which indicates that for each job at TAMIU, it supports an additional one fifth of a job in the broader economy here in Webb County,” Covarrubias said.
“It also states the impact that a degree from the university gives to the people earning it. So, getting a degree here at TAMIU represents a little more than $24,000 premium over high school graduates.”
The Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development is part of the A.R. Sanchez, Jr., School of Business at Texas A&M International University.
Editor's Note: Here is a video recording of an interview with Dr. Covarrubias about the impact TAMIU has on the Webb County economy:
