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Copper Industry Continues Growth As Jobs and Economic Impact Soar in 2007PHOENIX, July 8, 2008 - Employment in the Arizona copper industry rose 25 percent in the past year at a time when copper producers significantly increased their economic contributions to the state, according to a new study prepared for the Arizona Mining Association (AMA). "The strength of the copper industry has benefited all of Arizona", said AMA President Sydney Hay. "The impact is really substantial, with copper producers providing growing payrolls, paying more taxes, and increasing their purchases of goods and services from other Arizonans." Since the last report in 2006, employment in Arizona's copper industry rose from 8,200 jobs to more than 10,300 - an increase of 25 percent. At the same time, some 42,500 Arizonans had jobs as a result of the combined direct and indirect contributions of the copper industry to the state's economy last year. Further, the direct impact on the state was more than $3.2 billion last year, while the combined direct and indirect impact exceeded $6.8 billion. The annual study was produced by George Leaming of the Western Economic Analysis Center in Marana. He has been monitoring and analyzing the industry since 1973, and his annual report provides detailed historical figures along with county-by-county breakouts. Copies of the 52-page report are available from the AMA, and a PDF file can be downloaded from the Association's web site, www.azcu.org. According to his findings, the Arizona copper industry paid its employees more than $570 million in wages and salaries in 2007, up 24 percent from the year before, and paid another $107 million in pensions to former employees living in the state. Directly, the copper industry paid more than $138 million to state and local governments in taxes and fees and more than $2.4 billion to other Arizona businesses for products and services. The Arizona Mining Association was established in 1965 as a non-profit business league. Its mission is to acquire and disseminate educational, business and scientific information that is essential to the formation of sound public policies affecting the Arizona mining industry. Current AMA members who participated in the report and who have active mineral production in Arizona are ASARCO LLC, BHP Copper Inc., and Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. Other mining companies in the AMA include Peabody Energy, Chemical Lime, Drake Stone Products, Carlota Copper Company, Resolution Copper Company, and Rosemont Copper Company  Click here to download the report
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