Water is at the core of Arizona’s economy, lifestyle and uniqueness. Clean, reliable water sources are important for our communities and economy to thrive. Small businesses from all regions and industry sectors of Arizona’s economy have an active role in supporting policy and investments to secure Arizona’s water future. Arizona uses around 36% of its water from the Colorado … [More]
U.S. Jobless Claims at All-Time Pandemic Low
In the week ending May 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 444,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 5,000 from 473,000 to 478,000. The 4-week moving average was 504,750, a decrease of 30,500 … [More]
U.S. Skilled Freelancers Are Estimated to Have Earned $234 Billion in 2020, Says Report
Fiverr International Ltd., the company that is changing how the world works together, today released its fourth annual Freelance Economic Impact Report, a comprehensive study that identifies and profiles the largest markets in the United States for skilled freelance workers. In partnership with Rockbridge Associates, the report analyzes secondary data sources, including the … [More]
Urban Hotels Hit Hard by Pandemic, Recovery Expected to Take Years
A national survey conducted by Morning Consult commissioned by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) found that only 29% of Americans would consider traveling to a city or urban destination this summer, further showing the economic devastation facing urban markets, which rely heavily on business from events and group meetings, underscoring the need for targeted … [More]
Record Growth Drives Typical Home Values Up 11.6% over Last Year
Seemingly endless demand and low supply have driven record-breaking home value appreciation over the past year, Zillow's® latest Market Report1 shows. April pushed the envelope even further: Annual home value growth for a typical U.S. home is 11.6%, the highest seen since 2005. Today's rapid rise in prices may recall that of the mid-2000s, stoking unfounded fears of another … [More]
Seasonal Slide: U.S. Mortgage Delinquency Rates Level Off in February, Says Report
CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released its monthly Loan Performance Insights Report for February 2021. For the month of February, 5.7% of all mortgages in the U.S. were in some stage of delinquency (30 days or more past due, including those in foreclosure), representing a 2.1-percentage point increase … [More]
U.S. Jobless Claims Fall to Another Pandemic Low
In the week ending May 8, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 473,000, a decrease of 34,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 9,000 from 498,000 to 507,000. The 4-week moving average was 534,000, a decrease of 28,250 … [More]
Employees Want Remote and Hybrid Work More Than Employers Do, Says Survey
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labor law practice representing management, has released the results of its ninth annual survey, completed by 1,160 in-house lawyers, C-suite executives and human resources professionals. The Littler® Annual Employer Survey, 2021 finds employers navigating a host of issues in the transition to a post-pandemic future – chief among … [More]
Arizona’s Economic Outlook Ranking Falls, Says Report
The latest annual Rich States, Poor States report released today had some sobering news for Arizona, which came in 13th place in the report’s economic outlook ranking. “While we slipped three places in the ranking, are no longer in the top ten, and are approaching what could be a crisis of competitiveness, hope still remains that we can correct course,” said Chad Heinrich, … [More]
Maricopa County #1, Greater Phoenix #2 Fastest U.S. Metro Growth in 2020
When the news gets out that Greater Phoenix is one of the top places in the nation to find a new job opportunity, people start heading to Arizona. Late in 2018 and early in 2019, that news started getting out in ranking after ranking. Job opportunities await and a new population follows. The jobs available today are filling roles in the expanding knowledge economy, and … [More]
Consumer Price Index Rises 4.2%, Largest Increase since 2008
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 0.8 percent in April on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.6 percent in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 4.2 percent before seasonal adjustment. This is the largest 12-month increase since a 4.9-percent increase for the … [More]
Small Business Job Openings Reach Record High for Third Straight Month, Says NFIB Report
A new NFIB’s jobs report for April shows a record 44% of all small business owners report having job openings they could not fill, 22 points higher than the 48-year historical average, and two points higher than the 42% figure from March. April is the third consecutive month with a record-high reading of unfilled job openings among small businesses. “The tight … [More]
Employment Rises by 266,000 in April, Unemployment Rate Changes Little at 6.1%
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 266,000 in April, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains in leisure and hospitality, other services, and local government education were partially offset by employment declines in temporary help services and in couriers and messengers. … [More]
Top 5 Sun Belt Markets for Industrial Construction, Phoenix Is No. 3
Following the explosive growth of the industrial sector in 2020, developers continue to move forward, with nearly 370 million square feet of projects underway at the end of April, according to CommercialEdge data. The rapid expansion of e-commerce companies persists in driving demand for modern facilities, as does recovering port traffic volumes. As demand pushes … [More]
Arizona Projected to Add Nearly 550,000 Jobs by 2029
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity is projecting the state will add more than half a million jobs over the next eight years, continuing a surge in economic growth. “Arizona has become a jobs magnet,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “Not only are jobs booming, wages are rising faster at one of the fastest rates in the country. Our recovery is moving forward and there is … [More]
U.S. Unemployment Claims Fall to a Pandemic Low of 498K
in the week ending May 1, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 498,000, a decrease of 92,000 from the previous week's revised level. This is the lowest level for initial claims since March 14, 2020 when it was 256,000. The previous week's level was revised up by 37,000 from 553,000 to 590,000. The 4-week moving average was 560,000, a decrease of 61,000 … [More]
Phoenix Tops Nation in April Small Business Wage Gains, Arizona Is Third
Phoenix topped the nation with a 5.67 percent hourly wage hike, based on one-month annualized wage growth data, in small businesses compared to a year ago, according to the monthly Small Business Employment Watch from Paychex IHS Markit. The average metro area small business is currently paying wages of $28.26 per hour. The U.S. average is $29.09, increasing only 2.84 … [More]
Millennials Propel Home Buying: Strong Demand and Short Supply Push U.S. Home Prices Higher in March
CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI™) and HPI Forecast™ for March 2021. As consumer confidence rebounds and the job market picks back up, the 2021 spring homebuying season is on track to outpace trends seen in 2019 and 2018. Millennials lead the homebuying charge … [More]












