The area is famous for its annual grapefruit harvest. Due to the high amounts of precipitation, area grapefruit orchards are expected to produce a bumper crop this year. Government Government employees account for 27.5 percent of all MSA area workers. In April 1996, the government sector employed 34,300 workers. By April 1997, the government sector grew by 1,500 jobs, increasing 4.4 percent to reach a level of 35,800 jobs.
School districts are among the area's largest employers.
Enrollment in the county topped 125,000. The new bridge between Edinburg and Reynosa, Mexico provides one example of potential increases of public sector employment. Once completed, additional federal employees will be needed to staff the customs and Immigration and Naturalization Service facilities.