Counties with the highest unemployment in Arizona
Despite a relatively low unemployment rate just shy of 4%, as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Arizona using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in April 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Economists forecast a waning risk of recession and predict that the U.S. may instead be headed for an incremental slowdown in growth known as a "soft landing." Still, layoffs among major U.S. employers like Amazon to Tesla have sparked concern among Americans. What's more, unemployment has spiked in nearly half the country's states, which often indicates a looming recession, an economist told Business Insider. And with sky-high prices after a period of record inflation, savings and unemployment payments may not cover basic expenses for jobless Americans for long.
For comparison, the Great Recession of 2007-09 sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
Still, as of April 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.9%—little changed from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state vary, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Arizona.
#15. Greenlee County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 1.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,794 people (87 unemployed)
#14. Graham County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,115 people (364 unemployed)
#13. Maricopa County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2.5 million people (55,935 unemployed)
#12. Yavapai County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 109,771 people (2,687 unemployed)
#11. Coconino County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 75,606 people (1,918 unemployed)
#10. Pima County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 496,416 people (12,499 unemployed)
#9. Gila County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,206 people (571 unemployed)
#8. Pinal County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 2.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 206,895 people (5,958 unemployed)
#7. Cochise County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 49,700 people (1,514 unemployed)
#6. Mohave County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 90,549 people (2,898 unemployed)
#5. La Paz County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,992 people (310 unemployed)
#4. Navajo County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 39,238 people (1,537 unemployed)
#3. Santa Cruz County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,933 people (786 unemployed)
#2. Apache County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 17,649 people (926 unemployed)
#1. Yuma County
- April unemployment rate (preliminary): 8.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 93,844 people (8,390 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
