AZ unemployment numbers a mixed bag

The unemployment rate in Arizona fell from 10.7% to 5.9% in August according to the state Office of Economic Opportunity.

“I can’t imagine a month in modern history where we’ve had more employment available,” said Gov. Doug Ducey.

But the numbers are not all positive. Included in the monthly unemployment report is the fact that 145,673 Arizona residents are no longer in the workforce.

Those are people who the state does not count in the unemployment rate because they have stopped looking for a job. Ducey would not let that number cloud his optimism on the jobs report.

“It’s not unusual in an economy, especially when you have some of the challenges that we’ve had across the country that people who are displaced get discouraged. They didn’t disappear, they haven’t yet reengaged, they need to know there are positions available for them,” Ducey said.

Arizona has seen record unemployment since the pandemic took hold in the spring.

The latest weekly unemployment report from the Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) shows 466,054 people received unemployment benefits in Arizona.

Arizona has paid out more than $11 billion dollars in unemployment benefits since the beginning of the year.

In an earlier version we incorrectly reported the total number of people receiving benefits in Arizona.  The number we quoted was the total number who have received benefits not only those who received them last week.

Eds.: The Arizona Department of Economic Security website reports “Arizonans Receiving UI Benefits.” An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that as the number of people in the state who received benefits last week. A DES spokesperson explained that is the total number of people who have received the benefits since the beginning of the year. 

According to the spokesman, 466,054 Arizona residents received unemployment benefits last week.