Each year since 1981, the Arizona Daily Star has collected information about employers in Southern Arizona and published that information in a special section, the Star 200.
Potential employees, customers and business associates use the Star 200 and its online database.
The Star 200 is a good barometer of how our major employers and industries are doing overall, and it charts the changing business landscape in our six-county coverage area (Pima, Pinal, Cochise, Santa Cruz, Graham and Greenlee).
Most notably this year, UA Healthcare - the entity resulting from the merger of University Medical Center and University Physicians Healthcare - joins the Star 200 as the ninth-biggest employer on the list, with nearly 6,000 employees.
That was enough to keep Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold out of the top 10, despite big job gains by the metals miner.
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Raytheon Missile Systems remained the region's top employer, despite layoffs and retirement buyouts that cut its payroll by an estimated 500 from an adjusted figure of 11,000 last year.
The University of Arizona is not far behind, keeping its second-place ranking with just 19 fewer workers than Raytheon.
In our news stories in the Star 200 this year, we look at renewed efforts to promote Tucson as a science center, using the UA's status as a top-20 U.S. research university to foster business growth and economic development.
It's not an entirely new idea - business and government leaders have been touting the UA and the area's science and technology assets for years as a way to foster the growth of high-paying jobs. But with real estate still in the dumps and government employment flat at best, the idea of promoting Tucson as a scientific center is gaining some traction.
And if that effort pays off, you may see the results reflected in future editions of the Star 200.
