AZ unemployment rate 4.5%

[Hschlick84]

I agree, outside Phoenix metro, the rest of AZ has a supply and demand problem with lower cost housing, and more jobs. I believe the market could do a better job attracting higher paying employment to Yavapai, Gila and Mohave counties. If the retirees stopped moving to those areas, it would be an improvement, but that's not going to happen and it's part of the problem that needs to be addressed. I may end up moving to Phoenix in the future if the area I'm living in doesn't improve.

[ShampooBanana]

Phoenix MSA's unemployment rate was 4.0% in October. It's unlikely to get much lower than that as companies are already having difficulty finding qualified labor, so job growth gains are going to level off somewhat. It's already currently the lowest unemployment rate Phoenix has seen since 2001. Tucson is substantially higher, as is the rest of Arizona, so that drags the State unemployment rate down (especially Yuma which has one of the highest unemployment rates for a metro in the country). Now way will Arizona ever get below 3% like a CO or Utah. Not gonna happen.

[kapie9969]

The unemployment rate is a joke.It is a massaged number. Arizona? The wages don't match the cost of living. Basically, it is a two wage earner place. Just look at the cost of housing then look at the wages. Maybe this way of living is ok with you.

[Hschlick84]

Originally Posted by kapie9969

The unemployment rate is a joke.It is a massaged number. Arizona? The wages don't match the cost of living. Basically, it is a two wage earner place. Just look at the cost of housing then look at the wages. Maybe this way of living is ok with you.

This is a problem that's not just local, but almost nationwide. A country of poor and rich people, the diminishing middle class.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Hschlick84

I agree, outside Phoenix metro, the rest of AZ has a supply and demand problem with lower cost housing, and more jobs. I believe the market could do a better job attracting higher paying employment to Yavapai, Gila and Mohave counties. If the retirees stopped moving to those areas, it would be an improvement, but that's not going to happen and it's part of the problem that needs to be addressed. I may end up moving to Phoenix in the future if the area I'm living in doesn't improve.

True, but even the Phoenix metro area could do a better job attracting fewer retirees and more people with skills, talent, and higher education. Maricopa County has been struggling with this for a long time, and it's because of what we've focused on for too long: sunshine, golf, retirement, affordable housing, and a relaxed atmosphere.

Now that the Phoenix area has well over 4 million people and is one of the largest cities & regions in the nation, it needs to be primarily focused on jobs, industry, and being more of a world class destination. I think it's slowly changing toward this direction, but it needs to be more aggressive. Yavapai, Gila, and Mohave Counties seem to be the places where many of the future retirees are headed, so don't expect those areas to change very much in that respect.