Labor market

• The number of nonfarm jobs in Cochise County was down by 800 or 2.3% in the 12 months ended February 2025, according to data from Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. The private sector lost 700 jobs (-2.9%) while government declined by 100 jobs (-0.9%). Within government, all the losses were at the state and local levels, which fell by 1.5%, while federal job numbers countywide held steady.
• Within Cochise County’s private sector, goods-producing jobs were up by 100 (3.4%) over the year, all of which were in manufacturing, which grew by 12.5%. Construction and mining job numbers were unchanged in the 12 months ending February 2025.
• Countywide private-sector, service-providing job numbers were down by 800 (-3.7%) from February 2024 to February 2025. Within private sector services, gains of 200 jobs in information (66.7%) and 100 in educational and health services (2.0%) were more than offset by the loss of 800 professional and business services jobs (-18.2%) and 300 jobs in leisure and hospitality (-8.1%). Job numbers were unchanged in trade, transportation, and utilities; financial activities; and other services in the 12 months ended February. 
• In month-to-month comparisons, Cochise County gained 500 jobs from January to February with the addition of 100 jobs in construction and mining, 100 in financial activities, 100 in leisure and hospitality, and 200 in state and local government. All other private-sector industries (manufacturing; trade, transportation, and utilities; information; professional and business services; educational and health services; 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 February 2025 was 4.8%, up from 4.7% in January 2025 and 3.9% in February a year ago. At the state level, Arizona’s unadjusted unemployment rate in February was 3.9%, unchanged from January and up from 3.3% in February 2024. The U.S. unadjusted unemployment rate in February was 4.5%, up from 4.4% in January and 4.2% in February 2024.

Cochise County city and town unemployment rates in February 2025 were:

• Benson, 5.9%, up from 5.8% in January
• Bisbee, 6.7%, up from 6.5% in January
• Douglas, 7.5%, up from 7.4% in January 
• Huachuca City, 8.1%, up from 8.0% in January
• Sierra Vista, 4.3%, up from 4.0% in January
• Tombstone, 0.4%, unchanged from January
• Willcox, 8.7%, up from 8.5% in January

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