The US state of Arizona will not send any more state work to foreign countries, Governor Janet Napolitano has announced.

Having learned recently that about 19,000 telephone inquiries from state welfare and food stamp recipients were being routed each month from Arizona to call centres in India and Mexico, Napolitano announced on Wednesday that future state contracts will require that all work be done in the United States, local media reported.

"Using taxpayers' money to send work, and therefore jobs, overseas," said The Arizona Republic, "has come under attack in many of the 41 states where such offshore outsourcing practices have turned up."