Arizona Showing Marked Improvement in Job Gains

Arizona Sees Job Gains In October, Unemployment Rate 9.3%

(Phoenix, AZ) – Arizona added 13,200 nonfarm jobs in October, a 0.5% gain.  This is a marked improvement for total nonfarm employment compared to October 2008, when Arizona posted job losses of 4,200 (-0.2%).  Private sector employment contributed 11,400 of those jobs, reflecting the return of winter visitors and the “gearing up” for the holiday shopping season. 

Even with the job gain, the seasonally adjusted rate of unemployment rose two-tenths of a percent to 9.3 percent from 9.1 percent in September.  For the nation, the adjusted rate of unemployment increased four-tenths of a percent to 10.2 percent in October from 9.8 percent in September.

Six of the eleven major sectors added jobs in October. 

• Professional and Business Services led with the addition of 4,900 jobs, mostly in Employment Services (+4,800). 
• Trade, Transportation, and Utilities added 3,600 jobs, with 2,600 coming from Retail Trade. 
• Educational and Health Services added 3,000 (+2,200 from Health Care). 
• Leisure and Hospitality (+2,600)
• Government (+1,800),and
• Financial Activities (+700). 

The sectors losing jobs were Construction (-2,100), Other Services (-1,200), and Manufacturing (-100).  Natural Resources and Mining and Information both remained flat over the month.

Since last October, 177,600 nonfarm jobs have been lost, and a total of 291,200 jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007.  Over-the-year, total nonfarm employment continued to show losses.  However, October indicated a slowdown in the rate of job losses.  

For detailed information, graphs and charts on Arizona data, please visit http://www.workforce.az.gov/admin/uploadedPublications/PrSept09.pdf or www.workforce.az.gov.

Source: Arizona Department of Commerce

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