Recently crowned the third-fastest-growing region in the country, Pinal County is far from king when it comes to supplying jobs for new residents.
There are 170 jobs for every 1,000 people in Pinal County. That sags far below the 450 jobs per 1,000 residents in the metropolitan Phoenix area, according to a study by the Central Arizona Association of Governments.
"Population is way out-stripping job creation," said association planner Jack Tomasik, who spoke to community leaders Monday at Superstition Mountain Country Club.
Spurred by the Valley's unquenchable housing frenzy, the county's population climbed 11.5 percent from July 1, 2006, to the same date last year, U.S. Census Bureau statistics show. The surge lifted the county's population to 299,246.
But instead of new businesses building up around those households, thousands of commuters filter daily along two-lane roads and cramped freeways to work in neighboring Maricopa County. Droves of would-be homebuyers gravitated to Pinal County, where homes were more affordable, but local officials didn't seem focused on job development.
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