Jobs in Arizona on Downward Slope

The number of jobs in Arizona are expected to continue to decline during 2010.
A recent report from the Arizona Department of Commerce found that Arizona jobs will most likely take another hit next year. A forecast of average annual growth rates shows a .9 percent decrease during 2010, which is on top of an expected 5.6 percent decrease this year, resulting in a total loss of 167,000 jobs during the two-year period.
When it comes to Arizona’s largest metro areas, jobs in Phoenix are expected to decline by 5.9 percent this year and 1 percent next year, while jobs in Tucson are expected to decline by 4 percent this year and .5 percent during 2010.
Every industry is expected to decline this year, aside from education and health services, which is expected to increase by 1.6 percent this year and 1.5 percent next year. While the other services industry is expected to decline by 4.5 percent this year, it is expected to grow by 1.1 percent during 2010.
Other industries the report states are expected to decline include:

• manufacturing by 5.5 percent this year and 1.9 percent next year
• natural resources and mining by 14.6 percent this year and 2.8 percent next year
• construction by 21.4 percent this year and 2 percent next year
• trade, transportation and utilities by 7.5 percent this year and 1.9 percent next year
• information by 5.3 percent and 2.2 percent next year
• financial activities by 3.3 percent this year and 1.1 percent next year
• professional and business services by 8 percent this year and 1.8 percent next year
• leisure and hospitality by 4.2 percent this year and .7 percent next year
• government by 1.4 percent this year and .2 percent next year

Those figures point to the trade, transportation and utilities industry remaining Arizona’s largest employment industry during 2010, accounting for 19 percent of all jobs. The government industry is the second-largest employment industry, accounting for 17.4 percent of all jobs.

Originally posted by joel cheesman