It's not surprising that the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex is expected to lead the nation in employment growth through 2010. Today, the area is home to about 140,000 businesses and 6,000 corporate headquarters. Among the 19 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Dallas and Fort Worth are Advance PCS, Dean Foods, ExxonMobil, Kimberly-Clark, Neiman Marcus, Southwest Airlines, and Texas Instruments.

Needless to say, there's a veritable hotbed of employment opportunities for those relocating here, with an astonishing array of great companies to choose from - all of which have chosen to locate either offices or headquarters in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for its high quality of life, plentiful housing opportunities, and relatively low cost of living.

Dallas/Fort Worth is often dubbed the "Silicon Prairie," and for good reason. It accounts for 47 percent of all tech-related revenue in Texas - even more than its technology sister city, Austin. Major industries in the metroplex include defense, financial services, information technology and data, life sciences, semiconductors, telecommunications, transportation, and processing.

Real estate and tourism are other major industry sectors in both Dallas and Fort Worth. The following is a list of the Top 25 largest employers as stated in the Dallas Business Journal:

1.AMR Corporation
22,077 employees
P.O. Box 619612
DFW Airport, TX 76021
800-433-7300 (general information)
877-692-2562 (employment hotline)
www.aa.com
The world's largest airline is headquartered right here in Fort Worth. American, American Eagle and American Connection serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 3,900 daily flights. AMR Corporation employs nearly 26,000 and had revenues of more than $18 billion for 2005. For employment opportunities at American Airlines/American Eagle, visit www.aacareers.com

2.Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
21,133 employees
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, AR 72716-8611
1-800-925-6278 (general information)
www.walmart.com
The huge discount retailer might be headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, but Wal-Mart employs nearly as many D/FW residents as American Airlines. Worldwide, Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million associates in more than 3,600 stores in the U.S. and in more than 1,500 international stores. About 76 percent of the company's store management started in hourly positions.

3.Texas Health Resources Inc.
16,289 employees
Texas Health Resources
611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 900
Arlington, TX 76011
817-462-7900
www.texashealth.org
One of the largest faith-based, nonprofit U.S. health care systems, Texas Health Resources, Inc. was formed in 1997 with the merger of Fort Worth-based Harris Methodist Health System, Dallas-based Presbyterian Healthcare Resources, and Arlington Memorial Hospital. The company now serves 6.2 million people in greater Dallas-Fort Worth area, and was named one of the "100 Most Wired Companies" in 2005.

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