Report: Arizona in top 5 nationally for job hunters
Oct 18, 2012, 12:43 PM | Updated: 1:22 pm
PHOENIX — Less than three of years after having an unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, Arizona has become the nation’s fifth-most popular destination for job seekers, according to the Manhattan Institute.
In 2009-10 Arizona’s unemployment rate hovered around 10 percent. In August the jobless rate was at 8.3 percent.
Michael Hayes with Momentum Specialized Staffing said he’s seeing an influx of people from the South, Michigan and the jobs are for skilled workers.
“For example metal workers, plumbers, high-end construction, truck drivers.”
And it’s not just jobs that are luring people to the Grand Canyon State, he said.
“The cost of living is significantly lower than many other places. Homes are affordable. And we don’t face disasters that other states do like flooding, tornadoes and hurricanes.”
There is one thing that concerns him.
“We’re not creating enough high-level jobs with people paying taxes and spending a lot of their money. We’re still the low wage capitol of the world because we love to create $10-12 an hour jobs.
“Those jobs long term will not replace a $15-25 an hour job. I don’t expect construction to fully recover even though that has improved.”
Arizona Construction Association estimates that the state lost almost 210,000 construction jobs in the recession.
Rounding out the top five job destination states were Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia.
