Arizona lost 10,900 jobs from February to March, with a slight increase in the unemployment rate

The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity recently released its March Employment Report. It showed a loss of 10,900 jobs since February, not adjusted for seasonal employment. It also featured a slight increase in the unemployment rate, rising from 4.6% in February to 4.7% in March.

Doug Walls is the OEO chief economist, and he says despite an overall slow down in hiring, there are still opportunities for those searching for a job.

“We're seeing that employers are being more selective and that can reduce the number of options that an individual might have. We are still seeing industries that are hiring.” Walls said.

While unusual, these results aren’t unique to Arizona according to Walls.

“We do still see a number of industry sectors reporting positive gains, though things have been slowing down here in Arizona, but also around the country as states are grappling with these macro challenges at the national level.” Walls said.

Walls said certain job sectors are seeing more losses than others, such as hospitality or retail. He said despite this other sectors like healthcare are still experiencing growth.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The story has been updated to correct the headline and the time period the jobs were lost.