Research funding has saved jobs

A new report commissioned by Science Foundation Arizona says that high-paying technology jobs remained stable in 2008 even as other private-sector employment began to melt away at the start of the recession.

The annual report, completed by Ohio-based technology consultant Battelle, indicates that Arizona lost just one-tenth of 1 percent of its technology
jobs in 2008 while private-sector jobs overall dipped 3.2 percent.

Battelle officials said the report shows that the state’s funding of science-foundation and university research has helped shore up Arizona’s technology base, particularly in sectors adding new jobs, such as software and services, biosciences and aerospace and defense. Two other technology sectors, advanced manufacturing and computer hardware and equipment, shed jobs at a faster rate than the overall private sector, the report said.

by Ken Alltucker

Full Story: http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/2010/02/10/20100210biz-foundation0210.html