PHOENIX — The year started with unemployment in both Graham and Greenlee counties at the highest levels in years.
That’s according to data released Thursday by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
Greenlee County’s unemployment rate increased five-tenths of a percentage point from November (the last month data was made available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics) to January, to 3.3 percent. The last time unemployment was that high in Greenlee County was July 2023, when the jobless rate was 3.4 percent.
Despite the increase, Greenlee County continues to have the state’s lowest unemployment, more than 1 percentage point better than Maricopa County at 4.2 percent.
The unemployment rate in Graham County increased one full point in January, to 4.9 percent. That’s good for fourth lowest in the state behind Greenlee, Maricopa and Gila County at 4.7 percent.
It’s also the first time unemployment in Graham County has been that high since July 2021, when Graham County’s unemployment rate was 5.3 percent.
The unemployment rate in Cochise County increased nine-tenths of a point in January, to 6.1 percent.
Arizona’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate increased two-tenths of a point from November to January, to 4.5 percent, while the national unemployment rate decreased by three-tenths of a point to 4.3 percent.
Job gains were reported in just two economic sectors: Private educational services (up 200 jobs), and natural resources and mining (up 100 jobs).
Reporting job losses were: Trade, transportation and utilities (down 18,200 jobs); professional and business services (down 10,100 jobs); government (down 7,000 jobs); leisure and hospitality (down 4,500 jobs); financial activities (down 3,000 jobs); construction (down 2,200 jobs); manufacturing (down 900 jobs); information (down 600 jobs); and health care and social assistance (down 11 jobs).
