ECONOMY
Report Finds Arizona Housing Shortage Driven By Underbuilding, Not Airbnb
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...
Inflation Accelerates In March As Consumer Spending Rises
By Ethan Faverino | The Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Expenditures Update for March 2026 alongside the advance estimate for first-quarter 2026 Gross Domestic Product (GDP), painting a picture of an economy experiencing above-target inflation alongside...
Arizona House Republicans Advance Budget With Tax Relief, $800M Less Spending Than Hobbs Plan
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
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
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
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 The goal is to eliminate outdated bureaucratic hurdles, reduce unnecessary...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
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
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
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
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
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
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...
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