Labor market

• The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was down by 200 or 0.6% in the 12 months ending December 2025 led by the loss of 200 jobs in the government sector (-1.9%), according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. Within government, all the job losses were at the federal level (-4.5%) while the combined number of state and local government jobs was unchanged. 
• The number of jobs in Cochise County’s private sector held steady in the 12 months ended December with the gain of 100 jobs in the private service-providing sector (0.5%) offset by the loss of 100 goods-producing jobs (-3.3%). In the goods-producing sector, all the losses were in manufacturing (-11.1%) while the number of jobs in construction and mining was unchanged. 
• Within private sector services, all 100 new jobs were in educational and health services for 12-month job growth of 2.0%. Job numbers were unchanged in trade, transportation, and utilities; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services in the 12 months ending in December. 
• In month-to-month comparisons, the overall number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was unchanged from November to December 2025 with the gain of 100 trade, transportation, and utilities jobs offset by the loss of 100 educational and health services jobs. All other industries and levels of government saw job numbers stabilize from November to December.

 See spreadsheets, below, for monthly and annual Cochise County nonfarm job numbers by industry/sector. 

• Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in December 2025 was 4.9%, down from 5.3% in November 2025 but up from 4.3% in December a year prior. 
• At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in December was 4.0%, down from 4.3% in November 2025 but up from 3.5% in December 2024. 
• The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in December was 4.1%, down from 4.3% in November but up from 3.8% in December 2024.
• Cochise County city and town unemployment rates in December 2025 were: 
  • Benson, 6.1%, down from 6.5% in November 2025 but up from 5.3% in December 2024.
  • Bisbee, 6.9%, down from 7.4% in November 2025 but up from 6.1% in December a year prior.
  • Douglas, 7.7%, down from 8.3% in November but up from 6.9% in December 2024. 
  • Huachuca City, 8.3%, down from 9.0% in November but up from 7.4% in December a year prior.
  • Sierra Vista, 4.7%, down from 5.2% in November 2025 but up from 3.7% in December 2024.
  • Tombstone, 0.4%, the same level as both November 2025 and December 2024.
  • Willcox, 9.0%, down from 9.5% in November but up from 7.9% in December 2024.

See spreadsheets, below, for monthly and annual Cochise County, city, and town labor market data (civilian labor force, employment, unemployment & unemployment rate).