Consumer confidence reaches a 12-year low; post-pandemic immigration surge; Phoenix hotel industry creates job opportunities

On this episode of “Arizona Horizon,” Jim Rounds, President and CEO of Rounds Consulting, sat down to discuss how U.S. consumer confidence has plunged to a new low in September, as households expect the market to deteriorate as the war in the Middle East wages on and interest rates continue to rise.

We also heard from Dr. Edward Vargas, an Associate Professor of School of Transborder Studies at ASU, about new research that says the immigration surge following the COVID-19 pandemic boosted the federal economy with little to no disruption to U.S.-born workers.

Finally, Rosanna Maietta, the President and CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, talked about a new report showing that the Phoenix hospitality industry generates $7.2 billion dollars in economic activity, supports over 42,000 jobs and contributes $1.1 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue.