The state added 16,000 jobs in September, mostly due to the start of the new school year. Despite the modest gains, the Arizona Department of Commerce reported today that the state’s unemployment rate remains at 9.7 percent
| Sept. 2010 | Aug. 2010 | Sept. 2009 | |
| United States | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.8% |
| Arizona | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.4% |
Year-over-year, total non-farm employment was up 0.5 percent last month. August’s year-over-year numbers were revised from a loss of 0.1 percent in total non-farm employment to a gain of 0.3 percent. The August gains broke a 30-month streak of over-the-year job losses for the state.
For the month, the state’s employment gain of 0.7 percent were below the 10-year average, but was better than the previous two years, when the economy generated job growth of 0.2 percent in September 2008 and 0.5 percent in September 2009. The private sector had an anemic net gain of 700 jobs last month. However, for the past three Septembers, the private sector has lost jobs.
| Sept. 2010 | Aug. 2010 | Sept. 2009 | |
| Overall | 2,403.8 | 2,387.8 | 2,392.1 |
| Monthly % Change | 0.7% | 1.6% | 0.5% |
| Annual % Change | 0.5% | 0.3% | -8% |
Over the month, six sectors gained jobs and five lost jobs. The sector that had the most gains for the month was government, with 15,300. But those jobs came primarily from local and state education, with losses in the federal government offsetting some of the gains.
Professional and business services added 2,900 jobs; financial activities gained 1,700; educational and health services rose by 1,200; natural resources and mining generated 200 jobs; and construction also saw job gains of 200 in September
The professional and business services sector boasts the highest over-the-year job gains with 13,800. Over the year, trade, transportation and utilities was up 10,100 jobs; educational and health services gained 8,800; leisure and hospitality had a 1,500-job gain; and natural resources and mining generated 1,200 positions.
Over-the year losses were recorded with government (-7,300); construction (-6,100); other services (-4,000); financial activities (-2,500); information (-2,000); and manufacturing (-1,800).
The unemployment rates in the state’s largest metro areas mostly held steady or dropped slightly in September.
| Sept. 2010 | Aug. 2010 | Sept.2009 | |
| Phoenix Metro | 8.7% | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Tucson Metro | 8.6% | 8.7% | 8.6% |
| Yuma Metro | 23.9% | 23.7% | 21% |
| Flagstaff Metro | 8% | 8% | 8.2% |
| Prescott Metro | 10.1% | 10.2% | 9.9% |
| LHC-Kingman Metro | 10.8% | 10.9% | 10.8% |
