The Arizona Department of Administration says the state’s total workforce reached a new high of 2.7 million last month.
According to data released Thursday by the Department of Administation, the leisure and hospitality sector has regained nearly double the jobs lost since the recession.
Looking forward, the state projects Arizona jobs will grow by 2.84 percent from late 2015 through mid-2017. That adds up to 156,535 jobs.
“Twenty-one percent of Arizona employees right now are considering making a move," said Michael Fitzgerald, senior recruiting manager at Vincent Benjamin, a Phoenix-based staffing agency.
Fitzgerald said he is seeing more passive job seekers.
“Passive candidates are not necessarily unsatisfied with the current employment but realize that there may be opportunities for them to improve their current situation," he said.
Projections from the Arizona Department of Administration over the two-year period:
- The largest number of new jobs will be in the professional and business services sector with 34,902.
- The largest annualized percentage gain will be in the construction sector at 6.6% (17,732 jobs).
- The educational and health services sector will add 31,428 jobs.
- The trade, transportation and utilities sector will add 23, 414 jobs.
- The leisure and hospitality sector will add 22,594 jobs.
