Productivity and Prosperity

The Performance of the Economies of the Western States and Large Western Metropolitan Areas


Dennis Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University Economist, and Director, L. William Seidman Research Institute
Tom Rex, M.B.A.
Associate Director, Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research, and Manager of Research Initiatives, Office of the University Economist

Looks at the performance of 10 western states and of the 17 metro areas within these states that have a population of at least one million (including Phoenix and Tucson). During the current economic cycle, Texas ranks first on the cost-of-living-adjusted percent change on all but one of the major per worker, per capita, and aggregate growth indicators. Arizona and New Mexico generally rank near the bottom.


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Dennis Hoffman, Ph.D.
Dennis Hoffman, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics, University Economist, and Director, L. William Seidman Research Institute

Dennis received a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Grand Valley State University, a M.S. in economics from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in economics from Michigan State University in 1978. He has served on the faculty of the Department of Economics at ASU since 1979, as director of ASU’s L. William Seidman Research Institute since 2004, and as the director of the Office of the University Economist since 2005.

Tom Rex, M.B.A.
Tom Rex, M.B.A.
Associate Director, Center for Competitiveness and Prosperity Research, and Manager of Research Initiatives, Office of the University Economist

After receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toledo, Tom earned his Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University in 1976. After working in the private sector, he joined ASU in 1980, working for the predecessor of the L. William Seidman Research Institute. Since 2005, he has served as manager of research initiatives in the Office of the University Economist.


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