Labor market

• According to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in May 2022 was 3.7% (up from 3.4% in April but down from 5.3% in May a year ago).
• At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate was 3.4% in May (up from 3.2% in April this year but down from 5.3% in May a year ago). The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in May was 3.4% (up from 3.3% in April 2022 but down from 5.5% in May last year).

City level unemployment rates in May 2022 were:

• Benson, 2.2% (up from 2.1% in April 2022 but down from 3.3% in May 2021)
• Bisbee, 1.6% (up from 1.5% in April but down from 2.4% in May a year ago)
• Douglas, 7.4% (up from 6.8% in April 2022 but down from 10.5% in May last year)
• Huachuca City, 6.1% (up from 5.7% in April but down from 8.7% in May 2021)
• Sierra Vista, 3.4% (up from 3.2% in April 2022 but down from 4.3% in May a year ago)
• Tombstone, 3.3% (up from 2.9% in April but down from 4.7% in May last year)
• Willcox, 3.9% (up from 3.6% in April 2022 but down from 5.6% in May 2021).

• Cochise County nonfarm job numbers were down by 400 from April to May this year, led by the loss of 300 private-sector service jobs and 100 government jobs. Within government, all the losses were at the state and local government level. Federal jobs in Cochise County held steady from April to May. 
• In the private service sector, trade, transportation, and utilities dropped 200 jobs while educational and health services lost 100 jobs. Job numbers were unchanged in information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services from April to May.
• Cochise County’s goods-producing sector saw job numbers hold steady from April to May with construction, mining, and manufacturing jobs stabilizing.
• In the 12 months ended May, countywide jobs were up by 100 for 12-month job growth of 0.3%. All the gains were in the private sector, which added 400 jobs (1.7%) mostly offset by the loss of 300 government jobs (-2.8%). In the government sector, federal jobs in Cochise County were down by 200 (-4.2%) while state and local government jobs fell by 100 (-1.7%) from May 2021 to May 2022.
• Within Cochise County’s private sector, goods-producing jobs were up by 100 (3.8%) in the May comparisons with all the gains in construction and mining (5.3%). Manufacturing job numbers were unchanged in the May comparisons.
• Countywide private service-providing jobs were up by 300 (1.5%) from May 2021 to May 2022, with the gain of 200 jobs in information (66.7%) and 200 jobs in leisure and hospitality (5.9%) partly offset by the loss of 100 educational and health services jobs (-2.3%). Job numbers held steady in trade, transportation, and utilities; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services in the 12 months ending in May.