Arizona’s Unemployment Rate Drops To 8.9%

Submitted by Janet_Perez on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 11:14am

Arizona UnemploymentArizona’s unemployment rate fell 0.4 percent in November to 8.9 percent. The unemployment rate in October stood at 9.3 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate stands at 10 percent.

The Arizona Department of Commerce’s Arizona Workforce Employment Report released today finds that the state’s economy generated an over‐the‐month increase in jobs for November of 12,800, with 11,100 of those jobs coming from the private sector. The increase in jobs was less than expected, but still better than the 19,100 jobs lost in November 2008.

Most of the jobs gained in Arizona last month were in the sectors of trade, transportation and utilities (+5,200); professional and business services (+4,100); and leisure and hospitality (+3,100).  Educational and health services, government, manufacturing, financial activities, natural resources and mining, and other services also produced jobs in November.

Only two sectors lost jobs, with information shedding 300 positions and construction — which was pummeled when the housing and commercial real estate markets collapsed — dropping 5,500 jobs.

Here’s how the jobs picture looked around the state:

Phoenix‐Metro     8.4% 

Tucson-Metro      7.9%

Yuma‐Metro        22.7%

Flagstaff‐Metro   8.4%

Prescott‐Metro   9.2%

LHC‐Kingman Metro 9.7% 

In an encouraging sign that

Submitted by Chaise on Thu, 01/21/2010 - 10:29pm.
In an encouraging sign that the recession continues to moderate still many are unemployed or laid off. Obviously, the unemployment rate is important as a gauge of joblessness. For this reason, it is also a gauge of the economy's growth rate. Arizona is fortunate enough with this forecast unlike Colorado. The recent lowering of the Colorado minimum wage presents some interesting problems. For one, it means that people making the least you can are now earning less but also that employers have to keep above it to stay competitive.