Although the area has a relatively high unemployment rate and has continued to lose workers along with the rest of the nation, there are several places to look for jobs in Phoenix.
Phoenix, which is home to 1,567,924 residents, is the capital and largest city in the State of Arizona. During the last two decades, the economy of the city and surrounding area has greatly evolved from its original stake in cotton and citrus farming to one that is much more diverse.
Phoenix itself is home to seven Fortune 500 companies, including:
- Avnet
- Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
- PetSmart
- Republic Services
- Pinnacle West Capital
- Apollo Group
- ON Semiconductor
The outlying Phoenix area is home to an additional four Fortune 500 companies, including US Airways Group and Insight Enterprises in Tempe, Amkor Technology in Chandler and RSC Holdings in Scottsdale.
In addition to those companies, many others have a strong presence in Phoenix. Honeywell’s aerospace division is headquartered in the city, which hosts many of the company’s avionics and mechanical facilities. Intel employs 10,000 employees in Phoenix at one of the company’s largest sites.
The financial transactions, customer information and entire Web site for American Express are hosted in Phoenix. The city also serves as the headquarters for U-Haul, Best Western and Mesa Air Group.
Because Phoenix serves as the state capital, many people there are employed by the government. The area also has a strong military presence, with Luke Air Force base located in the western suburbs.
Arizona State University offers many career opportunities in education and research. Many high-tech and telecommunications companies also have recently relocated to the area. Phoenix additionally benefits from seasonal tourism and recreation.
