You’ve probably seen the headlines. San Antonio is projected to lead Texas in job growth this year. According to a Texas A&M forecast, we’ll add around 34,000 jobs in 2025. On paper, we’re outpacing Austin, Dallas, and Houston [1].
That should feel like a win.
But it doesn’t. Not to me.
I worked at Rackspace during a time when it felt like San Antonio had a real shot at joining the knowledge economy. We were surrounded by coders, designers, engineers. There was this feeling in the air, like we could actually become something more than a branch office town.
And when I see headlines like this, I find myself asking, what kind of jobs are we really adding?
That question has been stuck in my head since my days at Geekdom, when I read The Coming Jobs War by Jim Clifton. There’s a line in that book I’ll never forget:
“What the whole world wants is a good job.” [6]
Not just any job. A good job. One that brings dignity, mobility, and the chance to build something for yourself and your family.
Nowhere does that matter more than in a city like San Antonio, where generation after generation has fought to break out of poverty. The kind of jobs we create here aren’t just economic. They’re moral. They shape what’s possible for the next wave of workers and families.
So when I look at the latest numbers, I’m left with more questions than answers.
The Texas Real Estate Research Center shows most of our current job growth is coming from education and health services, trade and logistics, and construction [2]. These are critical sectors that keep our city running and employ a lot of people. But at the same time, growth in areas like professional and business services, which often signal innovation and upward mobility, has gone flat. And the information sector, which includes media and tech, is actually shrinking [3]. That raises questions about whether we’re creating a well-rounded economy that can thrive in the decades ahead.
That’s where my concern comes in.
And it’s not just about new jobs. It’s about the legacy employers, too. Lew Moorman, co-founder of Scaleworks, a San Antonio-based technology investment firm, recently wrote:
“Even worse, many of our main job-creating engines are struggling or leaving: Rackspace is in decline; USAA is quietly repositioning to Phoenix and other cities; Tesoro and Nustar have been sold.” [4]
That’s not a side story. That’s the backdrop. And while we’re focused on ribbon-cuttings and warehouse square footage, we have to ask ourselves what’s happening to the companies that helped build this city’s modern economy.
Even Whataburger, a cultural icon and something we’re all proud of, is now headquartered in Chicago. I still love the brand, but if their future decisions are being made from the Midwest, I think it’s fair to say they’re a flight risk. If we’re not careful, we’ll lose the brands that shaped us while cheering for ones that barely know us [5].
Let me be clear. This isn’t about attacking the great, smart people working every day to recruit companies to our city. I know they care deeply about San Antonio and are doing hard, important work.
This article isn’t a criticism of them.
It’s just… questions.
Because what I’m seeing on the ground doesn’t quite line up with what I’m reading in the headlines. And that disconnect bothers me.
I hope I’m wrong. Truly. I want to be proven wrong. I want to look back on this piece in two years and think, “Wow, I didn’t see it, but they were building something big.” That would be the best outcome possible.
But right now, I think we need to ask: What does a real win look like for San Antonio?
Not just a job count. Not just a press release. A win that actually shifts the future for the people who live here.
Because if we don’t ask the hard questions, we risk celebrating growth that doesn’t take us anywhere new.
Looking ahead, I actually think we’re at a hopeful crossroads. Greater:SATX, the group responsible for recruiting jobs and companies to our region, is currently looking for new leadership. That creates a real opportunity. The person who steps into that role will help shape the economic future of San Antonio. My hope is that we bring in someone with bold vision. Someone who understands how critical it is to compete for knowledge economy jobs and isn’t afraid to aim high. If we get that right, I believe San Antonio can be more than just the fastest-growing city in Texas. We can be one of the most forward-looking too.
Sources
[1] Texas Public Radio – “San Antonio Will Lead Employment Growth in Texas This Year,” May 2025
https://www.tpr.org/economy-and-labor/2025-05-19/san-antonio-will-lead-employment-growth-in-texas-this-year
[2] Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center – “Outlook for the Texas Economy,” March 2025
https://trerc.tamu.edu/article/outlook-for-the-texas-economy-february-2025
[3] Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas – San Antonio Economic Indicators, May 2025
https://www.dallasfed.org/research/indicators/sa/2025/sa2505
[4] San Antonio Report – “Yes, San Antonio is the Fastest Growing City — But for What Future?” by Lew Moorman, May 30, 2024
https://sanantonioreport.org/san-antonio-fastest-growing-city-in-united-states-commentary
[5] San Antonio Report – “Chicago Investor Buys Stake in Whataburger,” June 2019
https://sanantonioreport.org/chicago-investor-buys-stake-in-whataburger-headquarters-to-remain-in-san-antonio
[6] The Coming Jobs War, by Jim Clifton, Gallup Press, 2011 https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Coming-Jobs-War/Jim-Clifton/9781595620552
THE VOICE:
Lorenzo Gomez III
Lorenzo Gomez III is a community builder, author, and public speaker who draws from his personal and professional experiences to inspire others. A former director at Rackspace Technology, Gomez is a key player in the development of San Antonio’s downtown entrepreneurial ecosystem. During Gomez’s four years as chairman and CEO of Geekdom, San Antonio’s premier collaborative startup community, Geekdom companies raised more than $422M in funding and its startups have created 2,489 jobs. A trusted advisor to Graham Weston, co-founder of Rackspace Technology, Gomez helped shape Weston’s 80|20 Foundation, which invests in San Antonio’s future by issuing grants to public charities that attract, grow, and retain San Antonio’s future workforce and job-creating entrepreneurs. Gomez has authored four books: Cilantro Diaries, Tafolla Toro, The Rack We Built, and The Bully in Your Pocket. All four are Amazon best sellers and two are winners of the 2021 International Latino Book Awards. Lorenzo’s driving passion is his love for his hometown, San Antonio, Texas. His goal is to recreate for every San Antonian the opportunities the startup world has provided him in this city on the rise.