Most of us begin the day with our favorite morning beverage and tune in to our very own live-in horror story: The U. S. Economy.
Phoenix has withstood additional blows with negative press, but all in all 2010 showed small signs of recovery for our great state.
2011 will be even better. The top ten reasons Phoenix will have a prosperous 2011:
10. We are not depending on the 5 C’s that have defined our state for decades: Citrus, Cattle, Cotton, Copper, and Climate. History Lesson: All five are incorporated on our state symbol.
9. Arizonan’s love to shop. Wal-Mart is Arizona’s largest employer employing over 30,000 people.
8. Arizona is all grown up by implementing their very own stock index called The L&D Arizona Composite Index. It is compiled of companies headquartered in Arizona and publicly traded on the NYSE and NASDAQ.
7. Phoenix’s unemployment rate dropped below the National average to 8.5 in December, 2010 and is expected to slowly decline. Technology and resort-leisure jobs are still the go-to jobs in Arizona, unless you open a pawnshop.
6. Green is the word! Solar and Algae are the buzz words for fuel sources in the 21st Century. Both industries are continuing to anchor themselves in our state. If oil prices continue to rise, and stay high, we may finally be forced to mass-produce cleaner and effective alternatives to our oil addiction. Segway’s are not the answer if you wear high heels and worry about your toupee.
5. China’s inflation may
be the U.S.’s windfall: the cost of our goods will become competitive. The Chinese don’t want to buy goods labeled “made in China.”
4. Our border state geography is a benefit for legal exports and imports from Mexico, Arizona’s largest trading partner. According to azcentral.com exports to Mexico topped $5.9 billion and imports $5.2 billion in 2008. That is a lot of Chihuahuas.
3. The Phoenix metro-plex offers the most affordable housing in the U. S. With rock bottom prices and low interest rates (stop whining, no, they’re not at 4% but still pretty darn low) make for an unbeatable combination. Also, families who lost their homes in 2007 and 2008 may be able to re-enter the mortgage market this year.
2. We have the Grand Canyon. Air traffic through Sky Harbor increased in 2010 over 2009.
1. Arizona is not Green Bay or Pittsburg. With the brutal winter in many parts of the U.S. and Canada, pictures of our sunshine will continue to entice people to visit and stay awhile.
No matter what the circumstances of our economy, it will be up to us to energize 2011 and help make it a great year.
