PHOENIX — Graham and Greenlee counties have the lowest unemployment in the state, with only Yavapai and Cochise counties coming close.
According to data released Thursday by the Arizona Commerce Authority, both Graham and Greenlee counties had an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in March.
It was the second month in a row that jobless claims in Graham County declined, dropping from 6.1 percent unemployment in January to 6 percent in February and 5.4 percent in March.
Meanwhile, after experiencing a slight increase in jobless claims in February, Greenlee County experienced the same drop as Graham, going from 6 percent in February to 5.4 percent in March.
Yavapai County is sitting at 5.6 percent unemployment, while Cochise County is at 5.9 percent.
Statewide, unemployment is at 6.7 percent, down 0.2 points from February and up 1.7 points from March 2020. The national rate dropped 0.2 points to 6 percent.
Only two economic sectors reported job losses in March — Information lost 800 jobs and financial activities lost 700 jobs.
Posting job gains were: Leisure and hospitality (up 6,900 jobs); construction (up 3,200 jobs); education and health services (up 2,400 jobs); trade, transportation and utilities (up 2,000 jobs); manufacturing (up 1,200 jobs); professional and business services (up 300 jobs); and natural resources and mining (up 100 jobs).
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