By Tasha Anderson for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
Arizona’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.7 percent in November, up from the revised October rate of 4.6 percent, according to the latest report published by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.
The national rate remained at 3.7 percent. In October 2017, the state also had a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.7 percent, and the national was at 4.1.
The state had a net gain of 32,700 non-farm jobs over the month, which exceeds the post-Recession (2010-2017) average gain of 26,100 jobs. Trade, Transportation & Utilities had the largest increase with 17,700. Construction gained 1,100. Of the 11 sectors tracked, all recorded gains except for Financial Activities, which lost 1,700.
Construction in Arizona dropped to the second slot in job gains from Nov., 2017 to Nov., 2018 with a total of 19,000, while Professional & Business Services came in first with 21,000.
The Construction sector features three major segments: Buildings, Heavy, and Specialty Trades. There are currently 36,000 jobs in Buildings, up 100 from October and 6,200 from November of 2017. Heavy Construction lost 400 over the month for a total of 17,800, but is still up 600 from Nov., 2017. Specialty Trades increased 1,400 for the month at 115,600, and the segment added 12,200 over the year.
Construction jobs in the Phoenix Metro Area (Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale) increased 1,700 over the month, for a total of 135,300. The Nov., 2017 number was 117,800.
The Metro Tucson construction job numbers were up 400 to 17,700, an increase of 1,400 from Nov., 2017.
Yuma, Flagstaff, Prescott, Lake Havasu City-Kingman and Sierra Vista-Douglas combine Construction and Natural Resources jobs in reporting their job sector totals. Yuma decreased 100 to 2,500 for the month, while Flagstaff and Prescott remained unchanged at 2,600 and 5,900 respectively. Lake Havasu City-Kingman lost 100, for a total of 3,100. Sierra Vista-Douglas was unchanged at 1,500.
