This week, we published a two-part series regarding the workforce issues affecting Sedona and Verde Valley workers and businesses. The first part, on workforce shortages, was published Wednesday, May 18, while the second, regarding housing, is published in today’s edition.
Decades ago, the workers in the three main areas of our region: Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon and the Village of Oak Creek; Cottonwood, Clarkdale, Jerome and the Verde Villages; and Camp Verde, Rimrock and Lake Montezuma, were economically and culturally isolated from each other. Employees from one part rarely worked in another. But roads and public transportation improved, cars became more fuel-efficient and technology allowed residents to telecommute and communicate by computer and smartphone from anywhere, connecting workers, employers, clients and customers.
Now an employee can live in Rimrock and serve clients in Cottonwood for a Sedona-based company they only need to set foot in once in a blue moon.
Employers are struggling to find employees, raising wages to stay competitive, if possible, or working shorthanded if their business or industry can’t afford it. Some businesses are even cutting back operating hours or services due to the shortage.
That also means tenants can choose cheaper housing options, affecting the rental market.
In their off hours, workers connect with the community in which they live rather than where they work, shifting the Verde Valley’s cultural demographics. For instance, Sedona used to be the hub of the Verde Valley’s music scene with nearly a dozen venues for live, original music acts. Now there are only a handful, while the scene in Old Town Cottonwood is booming.
Likewise, Sedona’s schools are facing declining enrollment while those in Cottonwood are reporting an uptick as families choose where to live and raise their kids.
Overall, the Verde Valley has seen relatively steady population growth over the last decade, even when including the minor exodus following the Great Recession of 2008 when residents left due to job losses or home foreclosures.
However, the population growth hasn’t been uniform. Sedona’s growth has slowed as new residents are primarily older with adult children who don’t live here while Cottonwood is welcoming young families. Camp Verde is now larger than Sedona proper, but the single largest community in our region is the Verde Villages, the unincorporated area just south of Cottonwood city limits.
More of our youth are also enrolling in college and often don’t return after graduation, meaning young workers are not added to the job market, making positions harder for companies to fill.
We plan to explore this topic more throughout the rest of the year and we encourage your input with story ideas and letters to the editor.
