THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF TEXAS 
 
 
Table 3.—Indicators of Texas business activity 
747 
 
1966 
1967 e 
Change 
(percent) 
Personal income: 
 
 
 
 Total millions. 
 Percapita                                         Construction activity:

 Building permits millions. State highway commission:    Value of construction
started   do 
$27,319 
$2,542 
 
$1,226.4 
 
$424.3 
$29,385 
$2,704 
 
$1,461.3 
 
$452.9 
+7.6 
±6.4 
 
+19.2 
 
+6.7 
Value of construction completed do~. - 
$321.6 
$341.8 
+6.3 
 Cement shipments to and within Texas 
thousand 376-pound barrels - 
Cash receipts from farm marketings millions 
Mineral production do.Factorypayrolls do 
Annual average labor force and employment: 
 Totallaborforce thousands Unemployment do._ Employment:    Construction
do.~. 
 26,995 
$2,698.6 
$5,022.0 
$11,825.9 
4,164.0 
 133.2 
 201.4 
 26,955 
$2,521.8 
$5,406.4 
$13,076.7 
 
4,269.7 
 123.8 
 
 208.4 
— .1 
—6.6 ±7.7 
+10.6 
 
+2.5 
—7.1 
 
+3.5 
Mining doAll manufacturing do~..All industries do.~ 
107.2 
624.3 
4,030.8 
106.0 
663.7 
4,145.9 
—1.1 
+6.3 
+2.9 
 P Preliminary. 
 
 Sources: Survey of Current Business, Construction Review, Texas Highway
Department, The Farm Income Situation, Texas Employment Commission, and Bureau
of Mines. 
 
not as important as they had been in the past. 
 More of the State's oil and gas industry diversified into other minerals
fields during 1967. A large number of oil and gas companies expanded geological,
exploration, and leasing staffs in order to explore for other minerals. Many
new oil and gas leases included the "all other minerals" clause; in addition,
the clause was renegotiated into existing oil and gas leases. The policy
change resulted in the increased exploration and leasing activity for radioactive
minerals, especially in a wide belt extending from Gonzales and Fayette Counties
on the north to Starr and Hidalgo Counties on the Rio Grande. 
 Texas remained one of the Nation's leaders in petrochemical output and capacity.
The State was the major source of ethylene and acetic acid, both stock materials
for many petrochemical intermediates and products. 
 Three aluminum reduction plants operated at or near capacity in 1967 as
demand for this metal increased. 
 
 Employment and Injuries.—Although total employment reached a record
4.3 million persons in December 1967, and nonfarm employment attained a,
record 3.9 million persons, mining employment declined from 107,200 to 106,000
according to the Texas Employment Corn- 
mission. Nearly all of the loss was attributed to the oil and gas industry.
The average work week of factory workers dropped about 30 minutes to 41.6
hours, while that of mine workers averaged 42.7 hours. Average weekly earnings
of mine workers (including oil and gas) advanced $5.86, to $137.07, compared
with average factory workers' increase of $3.55, to $111.49. Workers in petroleism
refining maintained a weekly salary of $159.80 and chemical workers, $149.39.

 
 Consumption, Trade, and Markets.—The expansive character of the State's
1967 economy, evident from most economic indicators, was the result of expanding
productivity and increased capacity of its raw materials (nonmanufacturing)
sector. A major part of manufacturing in Texas is oriented toward raw materials.
According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, all major industries advanced
nearly 20 points over the record 1966. The same industries on a national
basis advanced an average of 1 to less than 4 points. 
 Because of the magnitude of production, many of the mineral industries were
dependent upon national and international markets rather than intrastate
markets. Among the major industries dependent upon national markets were
petroleum refining, natural gas liquids extraction, natural gas distribution,
nonferrous and