Labor Market

Nonfarm jobs (payroll employment)

The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was down by 500 in the 12 months ended August 2023, for job growth of -1.5%, according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The countywide private sector was down by 200 jobs (-0.9%) while the government sector dropped 300 jobs (-2.9%). Within government, all the losses were at the state and local levels (-5.2%) while federal government job numbers were unchanged in the 12 months ended August.
In Cochise County’s private sector, goods-producing jobs were up by 200 (7.4%) in the 12 months ended August. Gains were split between manufacturing (100 jobs, 14.3%) and construction and mining (100 jobs, 5.0%).
Countywide private-sector, service-providing job numbers were down by 400 (-1.9%) from August 2022 to August 2023, with the loss of 200 professional and business services jobs (-4.9%), 100 trade, transportation, and utilities jobs (-1.7%), and 100 information jobs (-25.0%). Job numbers held steady in financial activities; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services in the 12 months ended August.

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

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (2001-current) (pdf)

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Nonfarm Payroll Employment (2001-current) (xlsx)

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Labor force, employment & unemployment

Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in August 2023 was 5.1%, down from 5.5% in July 2023, and the same level as August 2022.
At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in August was 4.6%, down from 4.7% in July but up marginally from 4.5% in August a year prior.
The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in August was 3.9%, up slightly from 3.8% in both July 2023 and August 2022.

Cochise County municipality-level unemployment rates for August 2023 were:

Benson, 5.0%, down from 5.3% in July 2023, but up from 4.9% in August 2022.
Bisbee, 3.7%, down from 3.9% in July this year and the same level as August last year.
Douglas, 10.0%, down from 10.6% in July but up from 9.9% in August a year ago.
Huachuca City, 7.6%, down from 8.1% in July and the same rate as August 2022.
Sierra Vista, 4.7%, down from 5.0% in July but up from 4.5% in August a year prior.
Tombstone, 2.4%, unchanged from July this year and August a year ago.
Willcox, 8.6%, down from 9.1% July 2023, but up from 8.5% in August 2022.

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

Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment (2000-current) (pdf)

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Labor Force, Employment & Unemployment (2000-current) (xlsx)

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Labor market

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Nonfarm jobs (payroll employment)

Employment trends (monthly)

Job growth projections

US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Cochise County economy at a glance

Labor force, employment & unemployment

Unemployment trends (monthly)

Labor force stats (monthly)

Civilian labor force

Labor force participation

Employed persons

Unemployed persons

Unemployment rate

Unemployed population