By Howard Fischer
Capitol Media Services/East Valley Tribune
It certainly won’t match the boom years of the last decade.
But a new report predicts Arizona will add 60,900 jobs this coming year, enough for a somewhat respectable 2.5 percent growth.
Aruna Murthy, director of economic analysis, said Thursday that several things are driving her prediction of a 2.5 percent year-over-year increase in employment. One is anticipated strong growth in the number of people working at doctors’ offices, hospitals and emergency care centers.
“Arizona’s population is growing, even if it’s growing at a slower rate,” she said.
“A lot of the baby boomer generation are getting old,” Murthy continued. “They will all need health services.”
Murthy also forecasts higher employment by hotels, bars and restaurants. She figures that an improving economy nationwide will lead to more tourism.
