In the News: Second Quarter 2026

This post contains items we have found in Arizona news websites and economic development releases where there are job figures recorded. It also includes items from the Arizona Job Connection Worker Adjustment & Retraining Notification Act (WARN) search. While this list is not a complete description of activity during the last quarter, it does provide insight into current developments that affect Arizona’s employment base. Detailed information on individual announcements is available on the Reports and Presentations page (scroll to the bottom of the page). Graphs summarizing overall trends for Arizona, Phoenix, and Tucson are below.

Sundt Construction is building a manufacturing facility in Apache Junction that is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2027 and employ about 100. The facility will assemble pipe spools and other steel parts before being sent to construction sites. Retailer Burlington is building a distribution center in Buckeye that is expected to open in 2028 and employ thousands when at full capacity. Prama AI recently doubled the size of its Chandler office space and plans to add 25 to 30 engineers. Japanese semiconductor supplier TOCALO Co. Ltd signed a lease on a facility in Chandler. This will be the second location here for the company. Pencco opened a facility in Glendale in January that will manufacture specialty chemicals used to treat drinking water and wastewater. The project will create manufacturing and technical jobs, though no specific number was indicated. Garmin plans to expand its aviation division in Arizona, and attained hangers at Mesa Gateway Airport for a new flight testing and aircraft certification facility that will employ about 75 people. Canadian tech firm Veraterm purchased a drone company called Aloft that it will integrate into its DroneSense platform. The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in Mesa, intends to increase its workforce and while there were no specific numbers provided, the report noted that there were currently 70 open positions. Center Court Pickleball Club will open a location in Scottsdale this summer that will create 25-50 jobs. Architectural and engineering firm SSOE Group opened an office in Scottsdale this spring that will have 60 people. 

There were a handful of grocery stores announcing openings in the Phoenix area this quarter. Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market plans to open a location in Glendale. Sprouts Farmers Market announced it was opening another Phoenix location in late July, making that the 49^th store in the state. Based on prior reports, each location typically has 70-100 employees. Costco plans to build a retail store on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Scottsdale. It is scheduled to be completed in January 2027 and employ 250. 

California-based financial tech company, Block Inc., is laying off 83 people in Arizona as part of a company-wide reduction, as the leadership intends to streamline operations with AI. Building maintenance firm Tendit Group LLC is closing, impacting 36 employees in Phoenix and even more in Denver, where it is headquartered. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s filed a WARN notice that it was laying off 12 workers in the Phoenix area. In a move to streamline operations, Benchmark Electronics is laying off 65 Phoenix employees, which will happen between March 27 and June 30. As Saks & Company works through Chapter 11 bankruptcy, it is closing locations and laying off employees, including the Saks Fifth Ave at the Phoenix Biltmore, which will affect 67 workers. Memory foam mattress maker Sinomax East Inc. is relocating its Phoenix operations to Tennessee, resulting in the loss of 89 jobs here. Mesa Public Schools will be eliminating 50 positions in May – this is up from the 40 positions stated in the 25Q4 report. 

Life sciences firm Arteris Bio relocated from California to the University of Arizona Tech Park in Tucson. The company is developing a new topical skin product and plans to hire a technician and two interns. Sam’s Club purchased land in Tucson this spring for a second store here. There was no word on the timeline or employment, though a location that opened in Tempe in 2025 employs 240. Barnes & Noble announced it was opening another location in Tucson, one of 60 planned openings across the U.S. this year. 

Arizona School for the Death and Blind Tucson campus is moving to a location in Oro Valley and will no longer provide on-site classes for blind or low vision students that are not also deaf. These changes are being made due to lower enrollment, budget deficits, and an aging facility. The school board voted in February to lay off 64 employees effective June 30, 45 full-time staff, 19 non-permanent staff, and five from the Phoenix campus. Catholic Community Services of Southern Arizona is letting go of 74 employees in Tucson who were part of the Community Living Program that provides a group home setting for residents with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The program has become financially unsustainable due to a lack of federal funding. VisionQuestNational Ltd filed a WARN notice indicating 203 layoffs. It is a residential facility that provides rehabilitative alternatives for juvenile offenders. Food service contractor Aramark Campus filed a WARN notice for 108 jobs in Vail, scheduled for May 31. Automated Harvesting, LLC is closing its Yuma operations and laying off 46 workers.