Arizona employment rate rises

Both Arizona and Yuma County see slight rises in their jobless rates, but experts say it’s no cause for concern.

The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity says the unemployment rate for August rose to five-percent. That’s up from 4.9 percent in July.

That is above the national rate, which sits at 3.7 percent.

However, the state economists says Arizona did pick up more than 48-thousand new jobs last month. And that’s still higher than the average gains over the past ten years.

Yuma County’s seasonally-adjusted jobless rate also rose. It climbed to 23 percent in August.

The area’s natural resources and construction industry saw the most job losses. The trade, transportation, and utility sectors also saw significant losses.

However, the desert southwest did add 13 percent more government jobs in August.

Statewide education and health services sectors added the most positions. Financial services saw the second largest job growth across Arizona.

The state’s construction industry lost some 1,300 jobs in August.