story archive
Stories by Betty Beard
Posted Mar 7, 2019, 3:31 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
An annual revision of employment numbers gave Arizona 5,600 more jobs last year, but metro Tucson ended up with 2,900 fewer than had been reported — Tucson had an increase of 6,100 jobs.... Read more»
Posted Feb 21, 2019, 3:40 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona is expected to add almost 166,000 jobs between the last quarter of 2018 and middle of 2020, the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity said. Construction and manufacturing jobs will lead the way.... Read more»
Posted Jan 17, 2019, 3:23 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona added an estimated 93,900 non-farm jobs last year, with every major metro getting a share, although 82 percent went to metro Phoenix and 10 percent to metro Tucson. And it's too early to tell how the federal shutdown will affect the state.... Read more»
Posted Dec 20, 2018, 3:00 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Metro Tucson gained 12,000 mostly service jobs over the past year and its unemployment rate in November remained below Arizona’s, according to the latest state estimate.... Read more»
Posted Nov 15, 2018, 3:07 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona gained 3,500 jobs in computer and electronics parts manufacturing over the past year, about 15 percent of all new jobs created in that field nationwide. Construction jobs continue to soar, but retail and government jobs aren't doing as well in the state.
... Read more»
Posted Oct 18, 2018, 3:26 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Job applicants continue to flood Arizona and most appear to land jobs fairly quickly, with the state adding positions faster than our population is growing. Even so, the unemployment rate blipped up slightly in September.... Read more»
Posted Sep 26, 2018, 4:41 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Within the past year, three investment funds have sprung up in metro Tucson to offer a total of about $100 million to local entrepreneurs with marketable ideas. And that has the economic development community salivating over the prospects of more jobs.... Read more»
Posted Sep 20, 2018, 2:09 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
A boom in construction jobs in Arizona is also helping boost employment in a variety of other fields, such a architecture, interior design, home and garden sales and real estate and other financial services.
... Read more»
Posted Aug 16, 2018, 3:21 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona has added about 72,400 jobs over the year and metro Tucson, about 7,400, based on July state estimates. Hiring at restaurants and bars was especially strong in Tucson. The median home price reached $215,000 in July; close to its highest point in at least a decade..... Read more»
Posted Aug 2, 2018, 4:45 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona is expected to add about 543,000 jobs between 2016 and 2026. And, no surprise, Maricopa County is expected to capture most. Medical and social assistance jobs will account for about a third of the new jobs due largely to aging Baby Boomers. The rising minimum wage seems to not be hurting restaurant and bar jobs.
... Read more»
Posted Jul 19, 2018, 2:36 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
After many months of landing at or near the bottom of Arizona's metro areas for job growth, Tucson is finally landing more in the middle. The region added an estimated 7,700 jobs over the year, comparing June to the same month last year.
... Read more»
Posted Jun 14, 2018, 2:32 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Construction and manufacturing comprise only about 12 percent of all jobs in Arizona, but they gave the state 31 percent of its new jobs over the past year. Residential construction is especially strong. Metro Tucson recorded 426 new housing permits in April. But federal tariffs and rising mortgage rates could hurt construction.... Read more»
Posted Jun 6, 2018, 1:37 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
University of Arizona economist George Hammond predicts metro Tucson will gain 5,550 jobs in 2018 and 6,000 in 2019, which will help attract more residents and especially help the construction, real estate and retail industries.... Read more»
Posted May 17, 2018, 2:11 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Amazon's pick of Tucson for a distribution center that will employ 1,500 people next year is just the latest sign that our economy is steadily improving.The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity said metro Tucson has gained 5,300 jobs over the past year. ... Read more»
Posted Apr 19, 2018, 2:40 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
Arizona continues to surpass the nation in adding manufacturing jobs, with an increase of 9,000 over the past year and 1,000 over the month. But metro Tucson's manufacturing growth rate landed in fifth place behind other metro areas.
... Read more»
Posted Mar 22, 2018, 1:44 pm
Betty Beard
/TucsonSentinel.com
The state's February employment report shows that hiring increased at private schools and home and garden stores. Metro Tucson added 4,500 jobs over the year, and our unemployment rate is second best in the state.... Read more»