Last month, the unemployment rate dropped slightly across the country, but that still leaves 10 percent of Americans out of work, which translates to 15.4 million people who want jobs who don’t have one.
Locally, the unemployment rate is starting to inch down. “People are finding jobs,” said Prescott Chamber of Commerce CEO Dave Maurer. “Last month, the unemployment rate was below seven percent for the first time in quite a while.”
He said there is not just one market that is dominating the comeback, but retail is strong since the third Walmart store is set to open in the area soon and jobs in senior care seem to be in growth mode.
“We have an older population here for the most part here in Prescott and those types of jobs are the kind of jobs the community needs,” he said. “We don’t get a daily report, but we are seeing a trend.”
Maurer says he predicts the most growth in the upcoming year will be in the construction industry in the county. “The future is looking brighter. The one to watch here is construction, which led this economy for many years and then fell on hard times.”
A new Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sprouts are both under construction, which will provide construction jobs and jobs in retail after construction.
According to USA Today, Arizona will be one of the states leading the way in the recovery, along with North Dakota, Colorado, Oregon, Utah and Idaho, with Illinois and Maine bringing up the rear. The new jobs will be in retail, high tech, aerospace, construction and healthcare and senior healthcare.
In November, Arizona’s unemployment rate dropped four-tenths of a percentage point, from 8.2 percent in October to 7.8 percent in November. The national unemployment rate decreased three-tenths of a percentage point, from 7.3 percent in October to 7.0 percent in November. A year ago, the Arizona’s seasonally adjusted rate was 8.0 percent and the U.S. rate was 7.8 percent.
Jobs in healthcare are on the rise, but not in the traditional sense, says John Amos, president and CEO of Yavapai Regional Medical Center. “I think it is true we will continue to hire, but we are seeing a bit of a shift with more hiring opportunities of outpatient services rather than traditional hospital services,” he said.
Examples are outpatient care centers, outpatient diagnostic clinics and home health care.
Amos said there has been a decline in traditional hiring, which is down 30 percent since 1990. But, the locals are seeing change.
In Cottonwood, the fledgling wine industry is going strong, which is bringing chefs to the area to start restaurants.
“Cottonwood has been called ‘The culinary hotspot of Northern Arizona,’” said Lana Tolleson, president and CEO of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce.
Yavapai College has begun a course in wine and wine making and ground has been broken on the Southwest Wine Center, which will be a resource for wineries and the public.
“Our empty buildings are filling up and healthcare is booming,” Tolleson said. “We are cautiously optimistic.” QCBN
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