Everyone deserves a good job. That’s why we’re building the Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network
Although it’s good news that more Arizonans are employed than ever before, with the lowest average unemployment rate in recorded history in 2022, the demand for workers has been challenging for small businesses to keep up with, particularly in rural areas.
Local First is working with rural employers to understand their staffing needs, opportunities and challenges to find solutions.
What workforce challenges do rural Arizona companies face?
Some of the feedback rural Arizona employers have shared with Local First include:
Hospitals and healthcare companies in Gila, Navajo and Apache counties say it’s difficult to compete with employers in the Phoenix metro area to recruit top talent.
Tourism and construction companies in northern Arizona are struggling to fill jobs, even when there are few or no required qualifications.
Manufacturers in Pinal County say they offer full skill training on the job but still lack applicants.
The bottom line: Rural Arizona employers are striving to make it easier for job seekers to get hired, but there are still too few people applying to fill positions.
Additional proof that rural Arizona needs a Good Jobs Network
The data backs up what rural employers are saying.
Arizona gained nearly 94,000 jobs in 2022, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Office of Economic Opportunity, and the state posted a 3.6% annual unemployment rate, the lowest in nearly 50 years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, while a booming economy is positive, the flipside of such rapid job growth is that many positions are going unfilled.
According to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, 41% of small business owners in the U.S. said they are having a hard time finding workers to fill jobs.
Other challenges rural businesses say are sometimes out of their control:
Larger employers in urban areas may be able to offer higher wages and benefits.
Rising housing costs and shortages can make it difficult for employees to move to or stay in a rural community.
Job seekers sometimes believe they can’t build a long-term career in a rural community.
Overcoming these misperceptions, as well as real challenges, will require a concerted effort by Arizona’s rural employers, schools and colleges, nonprofits and community partners to remove barriers to applying for jobs, attract and retain top talent, train new workers and ensure communities offer what people desire to live and work.
A team effort to launch the Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network
Local First is working with nearly two dozen partners to put $9.5 million in government funding to use in Mohave, Coconino, Yavapai, Apache and Navajo counties to grow jobs, and to enhance and align training to address these challenges.
Partners in the Northern Arizona Good Jobs Network include state, county and tribal governments, local businesses, community colleges, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and more.
The four-year program will develop new educational programs to meet the needs of employers, while providing workers with the skills required to secure high-quality jobs with good pay, benefits and growth opportunities in high-demand industries.
