PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey praised the state’s economy even as he helped to give out turkeys to families in need and acknowledged that some people are being left behind.
“Right now we have more jobs available than people to fill them,” the governor told reporters after helping volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank load food boxes into waiting vehicles.
“But we know that not everyone is climbing the economic ladder at the pace that they would prefer,” Ducey said. And he said the growth of the number of jobs and salaries “doesn’t mean something to someone who doesn’t have a job or is looking to get back on their feet.”
So how to minimize the disconnect?
“Part of it is, one, through awareness,” he responded.
“Two, it’s connecting employees with employers. It’s with education and some services,” he continued. “I mean, we’ve got some folks that, for whatever reason, are down or depressed or addicted or in need of a second chance.”
On the question of housing affordability, Ducey said that, too, is linked to the economy.
“It’s actually an inverse relationship,” he said. “When you have a growing economy you have rising rents and increasing home prices. And it displaces some people.”
