Report: Phoenix seeing strong growth in information technology jobs
Jun 8, 2016, 5:30 AM
(KTAR File Photo)
(KTAR File Photo)
The Phoenix-area is on the rise when it comes to information technology (IT) jobs.
A recent Forbes article ranked the Phoenix-area the third best spot for IT jobs in the country, only behind San Francisco and Silicon Valley. It called Phoenix a rising star when it comes to IT job growth, with the city’s information workforce expanding by over 39 percent since 2010, the highest number behind San Francisco and San Jose.
Greater Phoenix Economic Council CEO Chris Camacho said businesses are taking notice of the job growth in the Valley of the Sun. Companies like Yelp, Uber, Weebly and DoubleDutch decided to expand into Phoenix.
“The list goes on and on of these companies that want to access a world-class labor pool, and they can do so from a market like Phoenix which still has great connectivity to the Bay Area,” Camacho said.
Camacho said a lower cost of rent and living compared to the Bay Area is also helping Phoenix attract tech jobs. He also said this new wave of IT jobs will attract more people to the Valley.
“We have a great livability and quality of life that does exist, coupled with the jobs, it’s a formula that I don’t think can be beat anywhere in the country,” Camacho said.
While information jobs currently make up 1.9 percent of Phoenix’s economy, that number is growing. Camacho said the Phoenix-area has also become one of the top financial service hubs of the West.
