Another economic bubble burst. Government types who promote economic development like to dis Arizona by saying we don’t have many high paying jobs, that Arizona is a service economy. It turns out they’re wrong. “The proportion of high-wage jobs in Arizona is nearly identical to the national average.”

The problem is the the tourist industry doesn’t pay well, so Arizona has a high percentage of very low pay jobs.

In particular, Arizona has an above-average share of very low-paying jobs that serve tourists and seasonal residents. It also has a high proportion of workers employed by temporary help agencies, most of whom earn below-average wages. In contrast, the state has a below-average share of moderately well-paying manufacturing jobs.