Southwest recently made a huge announcement stating they will bring 2,000 high paying jobs to the area with an average salary of 180k. The governor hailed this a boost for the local economy and providing jobs where people will earn enough money to live in the city. The 2,000 high paying jobs will be flight attendants and pilots.
This big announcement demonstrates yet again how ignorant politicians are about business; specifically the airline industry. Here is a newsflash for our esteemed political class. Flight attendants and pilots typically DO NOT live where they are based. They live somewhere with a lower cost of living and commute to their base either on the day their trip starts or a day before to insure they make their show time.
They do not contribute to the local economy. If anything it is the equivalent of an illegal alien earning money in this country and sending it back to Mexico. Or, in this case a pilot earning money in their "base" but living the rest of their lives in geography of residence.
Austin will see minimum economic impact as result of Southwest bringing 2000 high paying jobs to Austin. Yeah, bringing these jobs to Austin sounds great on paper but it is hollow. The economic impact will be in the employees geography of residence. Not the domicile they are assigned.
Shame on Governor Abbott for lacking understanding of how the industry works. Shame on Southwest for exploiting economic incentives without providing any direct benefit to the community.
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