Even as the national rate has gone down, Arizona’s unemployment rate went up again last month. That’s the third time in the last four months it’s gone up in the state.

The jobless rate went from 3.5% to 3.7% from August to September.

Still that does not concern Doug Walls, the labor market analyst for the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. While the rate went up two-tenths of a percent, it is still lower than pre-pandemic levels. 

Walls also noted there have been 102,000 new jobs created since last year.

“There are employers that are looking for employees. They're still not able to find them. And that more speaks to the ratio of job openings to the number of individuals that there are, that are actively looking for work." Walls said. 

By contrast, average hourly wages went over $30 an hour. That is a higher average wage jump than the national average.