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Sunny winter days with high temperatures in the 70s are among the many natural features that Tucsonans enjoy.
That weather is why an economist predicted Friday that job growth in the area will start to outpace the national average by next year.
Before the recent recession, many Americans fled colder northern states in favor of the warmer South and Southwest regions.
As the country's economy is looking up again, one national economist said he sees this trend coming back in the near future.
“Now, with the economy beginning to recover, you will begin to see a restart of that migration pattern," said Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, "which means that my forecast for Tucson is that by 2016, Tucson’s job growth rate will easily outpace national growth.”
Yun's prediction, in a presentation to the Tucson Association of Realtors, included an improved local housing market ahead.
Since the recession, economic and job growth in Tucson and Arizona have lagged the national recovery.
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