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A Tempe company thinks it has a revolutionary car concept, but will the public buy it?
A startup Tempe motor company is hoping to turn their lime-green, "spunky little ride" into the 21st century version of the Volkswagen Beetle. Since August 2008, Elio Motors has been working on a cockpit-shaped, three-wheeled vehicle that seats two people and is the size of a small compact car.
Seasonal hiring in education helps state unemployment rate remain steady
For the second straight month, seasonal hiring in education kept Arizona's unemployment rate steady, but officials expect job losses to continue, the state Department of Commerce announced Oct. 15. The unemployment rate for September was 9.1 percent, the same as August but up from 6 percent in September 2008.
Brewer: Arizona’s international trade a strength despite recession
Aggressive, agile, smart. Arizona needs to be all of these to build on international business growth that has defied the economic downturn, Gov. Jan Brewer said Sept. 22. "Exports create jobs, and I encourage and applaud businesses that are ready to enter the global marketplace," Brewer said in her International State of the State Address to the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations.
State unemployment rate levels off – for now – as back-to-school jobs kick in
Arizona's unemployment rate remained fairly steady in August, dipping slightly to 9.1 percent as back-to-school jobs offset losses in retail and leisure and hospitality, the state Department of Commerce announced Sept. 17.
Department of Energy providing $9M for projects in AZ
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Sept. 14 that more than $9 million for energy efficiency and conservation projects is headed to Arizona. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is part of a plan that will send more than $354 million to 22 states for "green" energy projects.
Brewer, Cardon proclaim a new day at Commerce Department
For much of its existence, the Arizona Department of Commerce has served as a political punching bag for those who believe the agency's work is inefficient, its mission vague and its credibility questionable. Don Cardon doesn't deny that some of those things have been true in the past, but a transformation is underway.
The cost of AZ’s budget crisis: 1,450 full-time state workers
Arizona's budget calamity cost at least 1,450 state workers their jobs last fiscal year, but the shedding of public employees is minor compared to losses endured by the private sector in Arizona. An analysis conducted by the Arizona Capitol Times shows the state trimmed roughly 4 percent of its full-time staff from July 1, 2008, to June 30, 2009. The state now employs 33,236 full-time workers.
Arizona unemployment rate for May hits 8.2 percent
Arizona's unemployment rate jumped by a half-percentage point in May as nearly all the state's economic sectors recorded job losses and many people left temporary positions in business and government, the Commerce Department reported June 18.
Housing director moves to Commerce
After just two months as director of the Arizona Department of Housing, Donald Cardon will instead be heading up the state Department of Commerce.
Interim director out at Commerce
Kent Ennis is out as interim director at the Arizona Department of Commerce. Paul Senseman, a spokesman for Gov. Jan Brewer, told the Arizona Capitol Times in an email on May 28 that Ennis was no longer serving as director. He did not say why Ennis was out as director or whether he was still with the department. He served as deputy director before taking over as interim director in January.
Low taxes, deregulation not only keys to attracting businesses
The year is 2012. Arizona, in its quest to attract businesses to the state, has cut taxes and decreased regulation. But the flood of corporate investment the state's leaders expected has not come, and the businesses they hoped to attract now reside in places such as North Carolina, Texas and California.
Forecast: Arizona will lose tens of thousands of jobs before recovery
A state forecast predicts that Arizona will lose tens of thousands of jobs in construction, trade and professional and business services for 2009 and 2010. Overall, the state can expect 160,000 fewer jobs during that period, though the rate of job losses is predicted to slow in 2010, according to a state Department of Commerce report released April 30.
