Labor market

• The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was down by 900 or 2.5% in the 12 months ending January 2025, according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The private sector lost 1,000 jobs (-4.0%) while government grew by 100 jobs (0.9%). Within government, federal jobs increased by 100 (2.3%) while job numbers in state and local governments countywide stabilized.
• Within Cochise County’s private sector, goods-producing jobs were up by 100 (3.4%) over the year, all of which were in manufacturing (12.5%). Construction and mining job numbers were unchanged in the 12 months ending January 2025.
• Countywide private-sector, service-providing job numbers were down by 1,100 (-5.0%) from January 2024 to January 2025. Within private sector services, gains of 100 jobs in information (25.0%), 100 in financial activities (11.1%), and 100 in educational and health services jobs (2.1%) were more than offset by the loss of 900 professional and business services jobs (-20.0%), 400 leisure and hospitality jobs (-10.5%), and 100 trade, transportation, and utilities jobs (-1.5%). Job numbers were unchanged in other services in the 12 months ended January.  
• In month-to-month comparisons, Cochise County dropped 300 jobs from December to January with the loss of 200 trade, transportation, and utilities jobs and 100 state and local government jobs. All other private-sector industries (construction and mining; manufacturing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; educational and health services; leisure and hospitality; and other services) along with the federal government saw job numbers hold steady over the month. 

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

• Cochise County’s unadjusted unemployment rate in January 2025 was 4.7%, up from 4.1% in December 2024 and 3.9% in January a year ago.
• At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in January was 3.9%, up from 3.5% in December and 3.4% in January 2024. 
• The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in January was 4.4%, up from 3.8% in December and 4.1% in January 2024.
• Cochise County city and town unemployment rates in January 2025 were Benson, 5.8%; Bisbee, 6.6%; Douglas, 7.4%; Huachuca City, 8.0%; Sierra Vista, 4.0%; Tombstone, 0.4%; and Willcox, 8.5%.

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