Labor market

• The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was down by 400 (-1.1%) in the 12 months ending April 2025. The private sector lost 600 jobs (-2.5%) while the number of government jobs overall was up by 200 (1.9%). Within government, federal jobs were up by 100 (2.3%) while combined state and local government jobs increased by 100  (1.6%).
• Within Cochise County’s private sector, the number of goods-producing jobs was up by 100 in the 12 months ended in April with all the gains in manufacturing (12.5%). Jobs numbers in construction and mining were unchanged in the 12 months ended April.
• Countywide private-sector, service-providing job numbers were down by 700 (-3.3%) from April 2024 to April 2025. Within private sector services, gains of 100 jobs in educational and health services (2.0%) and 100 in the information industry (25.0%) were more than offset by the loss of 500 professional and business services jobs (-12.2%), 300 jobs in leisure and hospitality (-8.1%), and 100 in financial activities (-10.0%). Job numbers were unchanged in trade, transportation, and utilities, as well as in other services, in the 12 months ended April. 
• In month-to-month comparisons, Cochise County job numbers were down by 100 from March to April this year, with all the losses in financial activities. Job numbers across all other industries and levels of government held steady from March to April.

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

• Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in April 2025 was 4.2%, down from 4.8% in March 2025 but up from 3.5% in April a year ago, according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
• At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in April was 3.5%, down from 4.0% in March but up from 2.9% in April 2024. 
• The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in April was 3.9%, down from 4.2% in March but up from 3.5% in April 2024.
• Cochise County city and town unemployment rates in April 2025 were: 
  • Benson, 5.2%, down from 6.0% in March but up from 4.3% in April 2024.
  • Bisbee, 6.0%, down from 6.8% in March but up from 5.0% in April a year ago.
  • Douglas, 6.7%, down from 7.6% in March but up from 5.6% a year prior. 
  • Huachuca City, 7.2%, down from 8.2% in March but up from 6.0% in April last year.
  • Sierra Vista, 3.7%, down from 4.3% in March but up from 3.3% in April 2024.
  • Tombstone, 0.4%, the same level as March but up from 0.2% in April a year ago.
  • Willcox, 7.7%, down from 8.8% in March but up from 6.5% in April last year. 

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