Arizona's unemployment rate continues a recent trend of inching upward.
The state Office of Economic Opportunity reports that the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.9 percent in February from 4.8 percent in January.
Arizona's unemployment rate also went up in January and February after being stable in late 2017.
The office's report released Thursday says Arizona's economy added 31,100 non-farm jobs in February, an increase that's larger than the post-recession average gain of 24,400 jobs.
The increase in jobs was close to being evenly split between private sector and government jobs.
The government sector had the biggest gain with 14,500 additional jobs, followed by leisure and hospitality with a gain of 4,500 jobs.