WAB executive Barbara Kennedy
Employment is on the rise in Arizona and nearly every industry of the state’s economy is adding jobs every month, according to a Regional Intelligence Report presented at the recent Alliance Bank of Arizona 2018 Economic Forum. From January 2017 to January 2018, mining and construction led the state in job growth at 8.3 percent (12,300 jobs), with nearly all of that growth coming in construction (12,100 jobs). This was followed by a 4.9 percent increase in manufacturing employment (7,900 jobs). Education and health services tied as the third-fastest-growing industries in percentage terms, at 3.5 percent, with the highest overall gain in jobs, at 14,800, most of which came from healthcare. Professional and business services employment increased by 1.3 percent (5,500 jobs). Overall, from 2012 to 2017, Arizona’s employment increased at a rate of 12.6 percent, well above the 9.3 growth in nonfarm employment for the nation as a whole.
Growth Drives Hiring Opportunities
In line with the findings, Alliance Bank of Arizona is currently hiring for 76 positions at its Arizona headquarters and Valley banking offices in a wide range of categories, including automated clearing house (ACH) specialists, internal auditors, Microsoft systems engineers, loan servicing specialists, branch banking professionals, commercial loan closers, commercial underwriters, treasury management application support, accountants, project managers, marketing professionals and more. The bank’s hiring surge comes at an ideal time as thousands of college graduates are entering the job market next month and population growth continues to increase well ahead of the national growth rate.
Findings from the bank’s economic forum show that employment in the state of Arizona has been increasing steadily, while the unemployment rate is falling (at 4.5 percent in January 2018) and wages are climbing.
“Arizona is a leader in population and job growth. In line with the broad economic resurgence here in the state, Alliance Bank’s presence continues to expand to meet growing needs for strong business banking,” said Western Alliance Bank’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources, Barbara Kennedy.
Kennedy joins the bank with more than 25 years of experience that reaches from the financial industry to companies in the distribution and transportation arenas. A skilled mentor with a strong track record of successful leadership in human resources, she most recently served as senior vice president of human resources at Encore Capital Group and prior to that worked for United Stationers Supply and Swift Transportation. In her new role, Kennedy will oversee the areas of human resources, training, talent development and recruitment for the bank.
In an effort to fill the open positions, Alliance Bank of Arizona will be hosting a Professional Networking & Career Fair Event from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8 on the fourth floor of their headquarters located at CityScape in downtown Phoenix. The event presents a unique opportunity for potential applicants to learn more about open positions by speaking directly with representatives from the different hiring departments. For more details about the networking event, click here.
To learn more about career opportunities and open positions at Alliance Bank of Arizona, click here.
Further details on Arizona’s economic outlook can be found in the Regional Intelligence Report, prepared by Beacon Economics LLC and presented by Alliance Bank of Arizona at the organization’s inaugural economic forum. To download the full version of the Regional Intelligence Report, visit https://goo.gl/eKS2Qg.
About Alliance Bank of Arizona
Alliance Bank of Arizona is a division of Western Alliance Bank, Member FDIC, the go-to bank for business in its growing markets. Founded in 2003, Alliance Bank of Arizona offers a full spectrum of deposit, lending, treasury management, international banking and online banking products and services, plus superior service to meet the needs of local businesses. With ten offices in Greater Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff, along with Western Alliance Bank’s robust national platform of specialized financial services, the banking division is a valued partner for Arizona’s business, real estate, professional, municipal and nonprofit communities. Western Alliance Bank is the primary subsidiary of Phoenix-based Western Alliance Bancorporation. One of the country’s top-performing banking companies, Western Alliance ranks #2 on the Forbes 2018 “Best Banks in America” list. For more information, visit AllianceBankofArizona.com.
