Labor market

• The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was unchanged in the 12 months ended August 2025, according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. Overall job numbers in both the private sector and government held steady. Within government, job numbers stabilized at the federal, state, and local government levels.
• Within Cochise County’s private sector, the number of goods-producing jobs was unchanged in the 12 months ending in August with job numbers holding steady across manufacturing, construction, and mining.
• Countywide private-sector, service-providing job numbers stabilized overall from August 2024 to August 2025. Within private sector services, the gain of 200 jobs in trade, transportation, and utilities (job growth of 3.2%) was offset by the loss of 100 jobs in professional and business services (-2.8%) and 100 in leisure and hospitality (-2.9%). Job numbers were unchanged in information, financial activities, educational and health services, and other services in the 12 months ending in August.  
• In month-to-month comparisons, Cochise County job numbers were up by 900 from July to August this year, in line with seasonal expectations. Overall, government gained 700 jobs from July to August, 600 of which were in state and local government with the remaining 100 new jobs in federal government. In the private sector, trade, transportation, and utilities added 200 jobs from July to August while job numbers held steady in all other industries.

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

• Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in August 2025 was 5.4%, down from 5.5% in July 2025 but up from 4.7% in August a year ago.
• At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in August was 4.8%, up from 4.7% in July this year and 4.2% in August 2024. 
• The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in August was 4.5%, down from 4.6% in July but up from 4.4% in August 2024.
• Cochise County city and town unemployment rates in August 2025 were: 
  • Benson, 6.6%, down from 6.8% in July 2025 but up from 5.8% in August 2024.
  • Bisbee, 7.5%, down from 7.7% in July this year but up from 6.6% in August a year ago.
  • Douglas, 8.5%, down from 8.6% in July but up from 7.4% in August a year prior. 
  • Huachuca City, 9.1%, down from 9.3% in July but up from 7.9% in August last year.
  • Sierra Vista, 5.3%, unchanged from July this year but up from 4.5% in August 2024.
  • Tombstone, 0.4%, the same level as July 2025 and August a year ago.
  • Willcox, 9.7%, down from 9.9% in July but up from 8.5% in August last year.

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