Arizona’s unemployment rate crept up a tenth of a percent last month. This is the third straight month the rate has increased.
The state Department of Administration said Arizona’s unemployment rate rose to 7.1 percent last month, a full percent higher than the national rate.
Arizona added more than 39,000 non-farm jobs last month, which state economists say is a smaller increase than other post-recession Augusts. The 10-year average gain for the month is nearly 41,000 jobs.
Of the 11 industries the state tracks, seven added jobs last month, led by government. Many of those jobs were in local education. In the private sector, Education and Health Services added 6,100 jobs and Leisure and Hospitality added 1,900. Both, though, are lower than the post-recession average. Construction lost the most jobs last month — 6,600. That’s the fourth straight month of over-the-year losses.
