Where the jobs are

Towns include:  Gold Camp
Job growth (2000-2008): 95.9%

Don't be fooled by the ghost towns and Arizona desert landscape, Pinal is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation.

Historically known for its copper mining, Pinal is forging into new territory by courting retailers, small businesses and medical-research companies. A major shopping center, the Promenade at Casa Grande, has already opened, bringing with it Dillard's, Old Navy and a multiplex theater. A new hospital in Florence is projected to open in 2011 or 2012.

But not to forget the area's roots, the Resolution Copper Company has also expressed interest in building a new mine there which could add "thousands of very high paying jobs" for engineers, miners and technicians, says Communications Director Heather Murphy.
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