Forbes ranked Arizona. No. 1 for projected job growth. Mike - TopicsExpress

Forbes ranked Arizona. No. 1 for projected job growth. Mike Sunnucks Senior Reporter- Phoenix Business Journal Arizona ranks at the top of the charts among U.S. states for projected job growth over the next five years, according to Forbes magazine and Moody’s Analytics. Forbes lists such as these are commonly cited by business executives, site selectors and the news media. The business magazine projects Arizona with 3 percent job growth over the next five years with annual economic growth of 4.6 percent. That puts Arizona just ahead of Texas in the job rankings. The two states often compete for technology, back-office and solar jobs and investments. Colorado comes in third on the Forbes list; North Dakota fourth and Florida fifth. Nevada, Utah, Georgia, Idaho and Oregon round out the top ten states for projected job growth. Arizona, Nevada, Florida and Oregon were all hit hard by the Great Recession. The Forbes ranking is a marked turnaround for Arizona, which has been grappling with recouping jobs lost during the recession. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer lauded the top ranking as a validation of business tax cuts, sales tax simplification and other policies shes pushed through the Legislature during and after the recession. “This report reinforces Arizona’s commitment, as a right-to-work state, to business growth and success, and validates the work we have done to make the Arizona comeback a reality,” said Brewer said.