As Arizona continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the nation, the state’s population provides a strong pipeline of skilled talent with a drive for innovation. The state's job opportunities and premier quality of life attracts workers every year, with a momentum that’s only growing.
Largest Production Occupations Job Growth
Lightcast, 2025
LARGEST BLUE-COLLAR JOB GROWTH
Lightcast, 2025
FASTEST LABOR FORCE GROWTH - ARIZONA, 2015-2025
Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity & U.S. Department of Labor, 2025
BEST JOB CREATION RATE
SimplifyLLC, 2025
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Arizona’s workforce of 3 million has added more than 487,000 people since 2015. With more than 70 percent of the state's population born outside of Arizona, its clear people are flocking to Arizona for boundless opportunity and an unmatched quality of life.
NET MIGRATION - MARICOPA COUNTY
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2025
TOTAL POPULATION - ARIZONA
LARGEST CITY IN THE U.S. - PHOENIX
Largest Growing State – Arizona
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2025
Arizona's approach to workforce development is collaboration. We bring together academia, industry and community leaders and more to design customized solutions to meet private-sector needs.
The Arizona Commerce Authority has invested $100 million to strengthen Arizona's semiconductor ecosystem, focusing on the rapid development, commercialization and manufacturing of next-generation U.S. semiconductor technologies. The ACA is collaborating with industry partners to identify and address research infrastructure and workforce needs. Investments from the ACA include:
Investment to Arizona State University's Applied Materials/ASU Materials to Fab (MTF) Laboratory.
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Investment to Northern Arizona University's Metrology program, research and training.
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Investment to launch first U.S. Apprenticeship Program for Manufacturing Facility Technicians.
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Arizona leads the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) Southwest, a regional workforce network connecting employers, educators, training providers and jobseekers across the Southwest to grow the semiconductor talent pipeline. From curriculum development to career placement, NNME Southwest is helping build the skilled workforce the industry needs.
Arizona is home to a world-renowned university system and one of the largest community college systems in the country. The trio of state universities and the community and private colleges are committed to preparing students for promising futures in leading industries.
Universities and Community Colleges
Post-Secondary Students Enrolled
Schools Offering Career & Technical Education
ENGINEERING STUDENTS ENROLLED AT PUBLIC ARIZONA UNIVERSITIES
Arizona’s diverse and innovative education system prepares students for tomorrow’s workforce. The system includes magnet schools for the arts, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and other specialties, as well as high-quality public and private schools. Moreover, the state’s public and charter schools have near-universal open enrollment so parents may send their children to a school of their choice.
Arizona has more charter schools than any other state with one in five students in Arizona attending a charter school. BASIS Charter Schools, founded in Arizona over 25 years ago, has many locations across the state and due to its success has expanded to states across the nation. These schools are routinely listed on “best high schools” lists by U.S. News & World Report with Arizona tied for having the most high schools in the nation’s top 100. In Arizona, BASIS students boast an average 95 percent AP exam pass rate and 100 percent of graduates are accepted to a four-year college or university.
PARKER, AZ (October 13, 2026) — Arizona's broadband expansion efforts reached a new milestone in connecting residents, businesses and community institutions with high-speed, reliable internet. Wecom Fiber, alongside the Arizona Commerce Authority, Town of Parker and the Parker Regional Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, today celebrated the ceremonial ribbon cutting marking completion of the Arizona Broadband Development Grant project — a multi-year build spanning Mohave and La Paz counties, with the Town of Parker as its final segment.
READ MORE about Wecom Fiber, Arizona Commerce Authority and Local Partners Celebrate Ribbon Cutting of Broadband Project In Town Of Parker »PHOENIX, AZ (October 8, 2026) – Mercury Systems, Inc., a global leader in aerospace and defense electronics, today celebrated the expansion of its Phoenix production facility, adding 50,000-square-feet of manufacturing space that allows the company to increase production capacity and accelerate delivery timelines through vertical integration to support critical U.S. and international defense programs. The company has invested to build out a new, highly automated manufacturing facility on the company’s existing Phoenix campus, which is expected to create more than 50 jobs in the next year, with significant capacity for future growth.
READ MORE about Mercury Systems Celebrates Expansion Of Production Facility In Phoenix »
