Economy - AZ FREE NEWS

Arizona Added 8,100 Jobs In April, But Long-Term Labor Weakness Remains

May 24, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona added 8,100 nonfarm jobs in April, outperforming the national monthly growth rate and ranking 16th among all states and Washington, D.C., according to a new analysis released by the Common Sense Institute (CSI) Arizona. The report, based...

Maricopa County Officials Claim Tax Relief While Seeking Higher Property Tax Levy

May 21, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) approved a tentative $4.1 billion FY 2027 budget this week and scheduled a Truth in Taxation hearing over proposed increases in the county’s primary property tax levy and primary property tax rate....

Study Points To Marriage As Key Factor In Reducing Child Poverty In Arizona

May 19, 2026

By Staff Reporter | Arizona’s rising marriage rate is having a positive impact on its poverty rate, according to a new study. The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP) and the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) published a 75-page report last week assessing the impact of...

Phoenix Inflation Climbs But Remains Below U.S. Average

May 17, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Arizona continues to experience relatively slower inflation than much of the nation, according to a new analysis from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) examining the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for April...

U.S. Inflation Rises To 3.81 Percent In April As Energy Prices Surge

May 15, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The Consumer Price Index rose to 3.81 percent year-over-year in April, marking the highest annual inflation rate in nearly three years, according to the latest Monthly Inflation Update released Tuesday by Republicans on the Joint Economic...

Report: Arizona Housing Shortage Persists Despite Cooling Home Prices

May 14, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona’s housing market continues to face significant affordability challenges despite slowing home prices and rising inventory levels, according to an update released this week by the Common Sense Institute (CSI) Arizona. The report estimates...

Report: Arizona Labor Market Continues To Decline

May 11, 2026

By Staff Reporter | The labor market is on a continued decline in Arizona, per the latest federal data reporting for March. Arizona’s reported numbers marked one of the worst months of decline in the labor market nationwide, according to an analysis published this...

U.S. Adds 115,000 Jobs In April As Arizona Labor Market Softens

May 10, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Employment Update for April 2026, showing the U.S. economy added 115,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, exceeding expectations. The gain was driven entirely by the private sector which added 123,000 jobs,...

Arizona State Land Endowment Surpasses $10 Billion For First Time

May 9, 2026

By Staff Reporter | Arizona’s Permanent Land Endowment Trust Fund (PLETF) market value surpassed $10 billion, the Arizona Treasurer’s Office announced. PLETF reflects the deposits and investments of proceeds from public land sales. The federal government gave...

U.S. Trade Deficit Widens To $60.3 Billion In March

May 7, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The U.S. trade deficit widened in March, according to analysis released earlier this week by the Joint Economic Committee based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S Census Bureau, Treasury Department, and Bureau of Labor Statistics....

Arizona Senate GOP Sends Budget To Hobbs With $1.45B In Tax Relief

May 5, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona Senate Republicans announced on Monday that they passed a $17.9 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 that includes $1.45 billion in tax relief over four years and spends approximately $800 million less than Governor Katie Hobbs’ proposal....

Report Finds Arizona Housing Shortage Driven By Underbuilding, Not Airbnb

May 4, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona’s affordable housing shortage is primarily the result of years of underbuilding after the Great Recession, not the rise of short-term rental (STR) platforms like Airbnb, according to a new report from the Common Sense Institute. The...