Historically, Phoenix employment growth leads the country. The city of Phoenix is an exciting desert city, rich in frontier history. It is a unique place to live and work. The dry climate of Phoenix attracts tourists and employers alike giving the city a wealth of business opportunities that create a broad variety of Phoenix employment opportunities. High tech manufacturers and hotel chains, logistics firms and financial centers, all energize the local economy. Professional sports, golf courses and an exciting mix of quality cultural activities make the City of Phoenix an attractive, vibrant community and ensure that Phoenix employment is diverse and expanding.
Service and Construction
The local economy of Phoenix is service and construction oriented, the two areas that have been most affected by the current economic crisis. This economic character creates a problem for Phoenix employment. On the surface Phoenix unemployment at 6.8% does not look bad against a state average of 8.2% and national average of 9.4%. But the numbers are deceiving. Phoenix employment has actually dropped from a growth of 5.5% a year ago to a rate of only 2.2 % at the end of the first quarter of 2009. Unemployment is growing in Phoenix and recent economic analysis indicates a further decline until construction and other service sectors begin to recover.
The recession has hit Phoenix hard. Phoenix employment expanded in only four sectors in the last year – accommodation, education, government, and leisure. Other industries, including finance, IT, airlines and other transport, have together lost 136,000 jobs. Call centers for companies like American Express have downsized as have high tech manufacturing operations like Intel. These jobs will return quickly as the national economy recovers. There will also be a wealth of jobs in general and manufacturing management, information technology, financial management and accounting, and logistics. The construction industry will require skilled technicians and engineers as well as unskilled laborers. Education careers are always available in Phoenix.
The service nature of Phoenix employment demands that the world and national economy begin to recover. Phoenix is a favourite spot for vacations. The warm dry climate allows a year round tourist trade that will lead to an earlier recovery than more seasonal tourist areas. As government spending begins to take hold for aerospace, fuel prices take the bite out of airfares, and computer sales recover their steam, Phoenix employment will begin to grow again.
Phoenix Employment Assistance
The Arizona Department of Employment Security maintains a web site at https://egov.azdes.gov which has a section on job searches. This section lists many job databases with active links for online searching. Local DES offices can access more than 300 databases nationwide to find the appropriate position for your qualifications. The DES also coordinates employer job orders with employee applications submitted to the local offices.
Local newspapers like the Arizona Daily Sun and the Phoenix New Times, as well as their online editions at www.azdailysun.com or www.phoenixnewtimes.com , contain many job listings for Phoenix employment seekers. There are many employment agencies in Phoenix. Many of these agencies specialize in outsourcing or trade specific employment, as well as temporary employment. Nationally known employment companies such as Kelly’s, www.kellyservices.com, and Adecco, www.adeccousa.com, compete with dozens of local employment agencies. Most of the Fortune 1000 companies in Phoenix have company web sites in other cities that include their Phoenix employment opportunities. Monster .com has a wide variety of Phoenix employment opportunities that are gleaned from numerous company listings nationwide. These online services have few overlapping listings, so it is good to use all of them while you conduct your search for your Phoenix employment opportunity.
At Home in Phoenix
Phoenix is home for more than 1,500,000 people. The city is very warm most of the year with temperatures reaching 100 degrees Fahrenheit more than 100 days each year. The climate is quite dry, but with severe weather during the more humid seasons there is a high potential of flooding. Mild winters bring Phoenix a lot of visitors in the winter for Golf and other attractions.
Phoenix is a big sports city with several professional sports clubs including the NBA Phoenix Suns, the NFL Arizona Cardinals, and the Arizona Diamondbacks of major league baseball. Racing fans flock to Phoenix several times a year for NASCAR racing at its best. In addition to sports, Phoenix has a good variety of cultural sites for opera, symphony, and visual arts to supplement the many parks and recreation areas in the city.
Housing prices in Phoenix have declined precipitously over the last year. The median house price is $125,000, while rents still approach $1000 per month. Housing is abundant due to so many foreclosures and investors are renting the houses for less than most mortgages. Crime is decreasing in Phoenix but it is still above national averages. The police will provide community crime statistics upon request and it would be wise to investigate the community you want to live in.
Medical services come from several large general and specialized hospitals in the city. Public education is mediocre though there is excellence to be found in the variety of choice between private, public and charter schools. The quality of these schools is quite varied and requires a good deal of investigation to find the good ones. There are 12 public and private universities, colleges and technical schools in Phoenix for initial and professional development in almost any discipline.
A Hot Future
Phoenix is a hot city with plenty to offer. The cooling market for Phoenix employment opportunities will heat up when the housing industry recovers. Improvement in the local economic indicators will see jobs return in construction and finance sectors initially. Phoenix employment opportunities in the logistics and some technical manufacturing sectors will fully recover in 2010. When the market begins to heat up again, housing will be affordable and the variety of entertainment and cultural activities will satisfy nearly everyone. The prospects for the future are bright in Phoenix. There is a hot future for Phoenix employment opportunities.
