Arizona released job numbers Thursday. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Arizona increased three-tenth of a percentage point, from 8.0% in July to 8.3% in August. This compares to the U.S. seasonally adjusted unemployment rate that decreased slightly by one-tenth of a percentage point from 7.4% (July) to 7.3% (August). To read our Sept 12 article “A Few Bright Spots in August U.S. Employment Report" click here.
A year ago in August 2012, the Arizona seasonally adjusted rate was 8.3% compared to a U.S. rate of 8.1%.
This August saw 39,800 nonfarm jobs (1.6%) added to Arizona payrolls, coincidentally, the same number as the ten year monthly average job creation for the state. However, the August gain is less than the previous two years, that of 55,000 (Aug. 2011) and 59,000 (Aug. 2012).
The majority of jobs were added to the Government Sector, with a gain of 32,000, or 80% of the jobs created for the month, a gain higher than the ten year average of 28,600, but less than the previous two years.
Statewide, Government recorded job gains of 41,000 (Aug. 2011) and 40,700 (Aug. 2012). The Arizona Department of Administration reports that gains in August are typical as schools resumes with new staffing levels for the start of the academic year.
Statewide, the Private Sector added 7,800 jobs, or 20% of the job growth, less than the ten-year-average gain of 11,400 jobs. Of these new jobs, 6,700 (or 86%) were in Maricopa County where Government sector jobs totaled 23,200 (or 77.6%) of the total 29,900 jobs and private sector jobs were 6,700 (22.4%) of the jobs added in Maricopa.
In Pima County, the ratio for Government to Private Sector jobs is more significant, with 4,200 (87.5%) of the total 4,800 jobs gains in the government, all in State and Local Government with Federal unchanged, and 600 jobs in the Private Sector.
So where are these 600 new private sector jobs? The Private Service Sector in Pima gained 400 (or 66.6%), while the state gained 11,600 total in this sector. Goods Producing (i.e. mining, manufacturing and construction) added 200 jobs in Pima (or 33.3%) while the state decreased in this sector by 3,800.
Over the year statewide, the Private Sector added 48,700 jobs over the year (2.4%), while Government lost 600 jobs (-0.2%). Eight of the eleven major sectors reported gains with three reporting losses. Educational and Health Services reported the largest over-the-year gain of 11,000 jobs (3.0%), followed by Leisure and Hospitality (10,900 jobs) and Trade, Transportation and Utilities (10,000 jobs) sectors. Other major sectors reporting gains include: Financial Activities (7,300 jobs); Construction (5,600 jobs); Professional and Business Services (4,400 jobs); Information (1,500 jobs); and Natural Resource and Mining (300 jobs).
Manufacturing (-1,200 jobs), Other Services (-1,100 jobs) and Government (-600 jobs) all lost jobs over the year.
Over the month statewide, six of the eleven major sectors had gains while five recorded losses. Government reported the largest gain of 32,000 jobs (8.8%) in August. Government gains in August are typical as schools resume after summer break. Local Government added the majority of jobs with 28,600 jobs. Gains in Local Education (29,800 jobs) were offset slightly by losses in non-education related sectors (-1,200 jobs). State Government added 3,100 jobs all from State Education (3,100 jobs). The Federal Government added 300 jobs.
Education and Health Services added 8,000 jobs (2.2%). Most of the gains occurred in Educational Services which gained 4,400 jobs. This gain was slightly higher than the ten-year-average (’03-’12) gain (3,900 jobs), but lower than the August gain in the previous three years (’10-’12). Health Care added 2,000 jobs from Ambulatory Health Care Services (800 jobs), Hospitals (700 jobs), and Nursing and Residential Care Facilities (500 jobs). Social Assistance added 1,600 jobs, the highest over-the-month gain since 1990.
Get detailed information, graphs and charts on Arizona data at www.azstats.gov or click here for .pdf file of report.