State of AZ Economic Development Report

The Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) is thrilled to present the 2026 State of Economic Development Report! Now in its fifth year, this pivotal document — compiled from the responses of 100+ economic development Practitioners and Service Providers across the state — provides readers with a well-rounded understanding of the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Key highlights include:

• Demographic Details: Explore the profession’s workforce pipeline, from tenure trends to the pathways professionals are taking into economic development.
• Current Challenges & Trends: Track how top issues have shifted over five years of data, and see how they break down by community size.
• Budget Insights: Understand how budget changes are trending across community sizes and what this means for future economic development work.
• Strategy & Metrics: See where Practitioners are focusing their efforts and the metrics they’re using to track progress.
• Political Impact: Dig into where political interference is occurring, and how the experience differs between Practitioners and Providers.

Don’t miss out on this essential resource! Empower your organization with the knowledge and insights to thrive in 2026 and beyond.