DALLAS — Texas remains the most uninsured state in the country, by far. But there is some big progress on that front. A special pandemic enrollment period allowed people to sign up for healthcare coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Between mid-February and the end of July, 360,104 Texans took advantage and got insurance. That number will go up more when the August sign-ups are added. A recent report from the federal government showed that with pandemic discounts, many of those newly insured Texans are paying an average monthly premium of $55.
If you needed coverage, hopefully you signed up, because the special enrollment period has ended. If you are one of the 4,534,900 uninsured Texans, there are some circumstances that allow you to still sign up now If you are not among those still eligible to sign up. Enrollment for the 2022 period should open to everyone in November.
D-FW jobs market
Jobs are available, and we have the people to fill them. The Labor IQ Index, which is watched by hiring managers and recruiters, says that since last October, D-FW has been the top labor market in the country.
The report attributes that to big job gains here and a deep pool of talent to fill those positions because of net migration -- the number of people we’ve been gaining here.
But, there have been some growing pains. All those transplants need housing. That demand has helped keep the housing supply low and prices high.
Speaking of housing...
The Texas A&M Texas Real Estate Research Center is out with its mid-year report. Researchers there expect housing inventory to "improve in the coming months...easing some of the price pressures." But going into next year, those experts predict "inventories...will be especially low [for] starter homes less than $300,000." The report blames "sharp increases in land, labor, and material costs."