In 2016, the Tucson metropolitan area added 4,700 jobs, which translated into 1.3 percent growth, according the University of Arizona's MAP Dashboard. That ranked Tucson last among similar regions in the West. The largest job gains last year were in education and health services; leisure and hospitality; and manufacturing. Those job gains were partially offset by losses in mining, as well as trade, transportation, and utilities. In better news, Tucson’s job growth improved from 0.8 percent in 2015.
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Tucson economy: Job growth weakest in West
UA's MAP Dashboard: Nearly half of college grads in Tucson majored in science or engineering fields
Tucson ranks high among its peers for the percentage of people covered by health insurance.
City still ranks 10th of 12 with cost of living factored in.
A higher labor-participation rate shows workers believe businesses are hiring for jobs that are worth their time and effort.
Number of Tucson business establishments fell in the wake of the Great Recession but grew in 2017, UA economists say.
Tucson's rate of job growth still trails most peer cities and the U.S., UA researchers found