Pinal County Takes the Lead in Job Growth, Boosted by Maricopa’s Support

Pinal County has emerged as a leader in job growth across Arizona, with city officials pointing to Maricopa’s contribution to this trend. Recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that between 2019 and 2023, the county added nearly 10,000 jobs, marking a remarkable 16% increase.

The New York Times has published statistics highlighting this significant job expansion in several sectors. Construction jobs surged by 79%, and manufacturing saw a growth of 78% during the same five-year period. Additionally, the leisure and hospitality sectors experienced a noteworthy 41% increase.

Rick Horst, the Chief Strategy Officer for Maricopa, emphasized the city’s rapid development since its incorporation over two decades ago. He noted, “Maricopa is consistently ranked among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the nation based on percentage growth. We have outpaced the population of all other cities in Pinal County and currently hold the largest population in the county.”

Horst, who previously served as the city manager, now focuses on economic development to attract new employment opportunities. He remarked, “Strong leadership, active citizen engagement, foresight, and dedicated effort contribute to creating new jobs and enhancing the quality of life for our residents. We are on track to generate tens of thousands of new jobs in the years ahead.”

Recently, the Maricopa City Council awarded a significant bid of over $66.6 million to Rail Industrial Partners and Redevco Solutions for a 680-acre business park, following the community’s approval of Proposition 482 nearly a month ago. This proposed business park is set to include 6 million square feet of rail-served facilities. Horst estimates that the initiative could generate between 18,000 and 36,000 new jobs, with an expected total investment of approximately $1.4 billion.

In comparison, Maricopa County, which created 161,875 new jobs from 2019 to 2023, experienced only an 8% job growth, half the rate seen in Pinal County. Maricopa County’s population stands at about 4.6 million. Notably, Pinal County, with nearly 470,000 residents, outperformed Pima County, which added 9,297 jobs for a 2.5% increase among its over 1 million residents.

Additional growth indicators show that Graham County added 980 jobs, marking a 10% increase during the same time frame. Maricopa itself has been recognized as the fifth-fastest-growing large city in the nation, aligning with the positive local job growth trend.