Outgoing Arizona Commerce Authority President and CEO Don Cardon will give back the $50,000 signing bonus he received last year.

Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is holding at 8.7 percent despite the loss of 3,000 jobs in December.

Arizona’s metro areas are at least four years away from returning to pre-recession employment levels, according to a report issued Wednesday.

Consumers in Arizona spent more money in October on automobiles, clothes and other goods than in that same month a year earlier.

The Arizona Republic reports that that state records show that shoppers spent $3.8 billion on retail goods during October.

State revenues grew modestly in November even as signs of economic strains persist.

State revenue rose again in October, giving policymakers a reason to cheer.

This marks the 15th month in a row of revenue growth, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee reported last week.

Buoyed by a strong showing in individual income taxes, revenue increased by 16.6 percent last month compared to the year before.

After being in place for four months, the Arizona Commerce Authority Oct. 24 announced its first award from its $25 million deal-closing fund.

Mirroring a national trend, the economic downturn is prompting Arizonans to put off having children, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center.

Major economic indicators in Arizona point to a steady recovery, although some bumps remain.

Revenues in August grew by 8.6 percent, buoyed by strong showings in sales and individual income taxes.

In a state where unemployment remains high as much of the rest of the nation recovers from the Great Recession, Yuma stands out. The metropolitan area’s jobless rate of 15.9 percent in August was the nation’s second highest, trailing only nearby El Centro, Calif., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.