Economy - AZ FREE NEWS

Arizona House Republicans Advance Budget With Tax Relief, $800M Less Spending Than Hobbs Plan

May 2, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona House Republicans announced passage of a state budget proposal this week, saying it delivers significant tax relief while reducing overall spending compared to Governor Katie Hobbs’ plan. In a press release, House GOP leaders said the...

Hobbs Signals Veto Of Another GOP Budget Proposal To Bring Arizona Into Full Federal Tax Conformity

Apr 29, 2026

By Staff Reporter | On Monday, House Republicans put forth what they called a balanced budget of $17.9 billion. By Tuesday, Gov. Katie Hobbs said the proposal was all but dead. The leaders of both chambers characterized their budget as uniquely reflective of total...

Report Finds Arizona Job Growth Lagging National Trends Amid Rising Unemployment

Apr 27, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona’s job growth has fallen behind national trends over the past year, with the state recording a net loss of jobs and rising unemployment, according to a new report from Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee. The February employment...

Hamadeh Urges VA To Improve Home Loan Access And Affordability For Veterans

Apr 25, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Congressman Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ-08) announced his letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins to adopt common-sense reforms to the VA Home Loan Guarantee Program. The goal is to eliminate outdated bureaucratic hurdles, reduce unnecessary...

Hobbs’ Vetoes Leave Arizona Small Businesses Waiting On Tax Conformity

Apr 24, 2026

By Staff Reporter | With Arizona’s legislative session scheduled to close this week, small business owners are still left in a lurch over a lack of tax conformity. Twice this year Gov. Katie Hobbs has vetoed legislation that would have provided full...

Report: Permanent Small Business Tax Deduction Could Add Billions To Arizona Economy

Apr 19, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) released a new report detailing the significant economic benefits and tax savings Arizona’s 706,640 small businesses will realize now that the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction has been made...

Small Business Optimism Index Declines In March As Uncertainty Rises

Apr 18, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Small business optimism weakened in March as a sharp drop in reported profit trends and softening expectations for business conditions weighed on the outlook, according to the latest survey from the National Federation of Independent Business...

March Closes With $164.10 Billion Deficit

Apr 16, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Earlier this week, the Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Fiscal Update, revealing that the federal government recorded a deficit of $164.10 billion in March 2026. For the first half of FY26, cumulative deficits reached $1.169 trillion,...

AZ Ranks Among Nation’s Least Affordable States As Household Costs Climb

Apr 15, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | A new report from the Common Sense Institute finds that rising costs for housing, groceries, insurance, and child care continue to strain affordability for Arizona families, even as inflation has cooled from its post-pandemic peak. According to...

Arizona Labor Market Weakens Despite Modest January Job Gains

Apr 12, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | New data from the Common Sense Institute’s Arizona Jobs and Labor Force Update shows Arizona added 5,100 non-farm jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis in January, representing a modest 0.16% increase from December. This gain ranked the state 25th...

March Small Business Jobs Report Highlights Persistent Hiring Challenges

Apr 9, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) March Jobs Report, released earlier this week, shows the Small Business Employment Index declined 1.9 points to 101.6. While the index pulled back from February, it remains above the 2025...

U.S. Trade Deficit Widens In February But Remains Below 12-Month Average

Apr 7, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The Joint Economic Committee released its analysis of the latest Monthly Trade Update, drawing on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Census Bureau, Treasury Department, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. The U.S. recorded a total trade...