The outlook for the oil-based economy in Texas is anything but certain, though some form of recovery is expected later in 2016, an economist said. The Texas Petro Index, a metric used to gauge the health of the state’s energy sector, declined for the 11th straight month in October, the last full month for which data are available. The Dallas Federal Reserve last week said some parts of the state economy were performing better than the rest of the nation, though wages and employment prospects continued to falter as lower crude oil prices become the new normal . “The financial positions of many energy firms continued to deteriorate, particularly smaller firms,” the bank said. The Texas Alliance […]