According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Arizona unemployment rate is 9.6% since August 2010. That’s up 1.2 points from 8% in 2009.http://www.bls.gov/lau/home.htm Only slightly lower than the current national unemployment rate of 9.7, Arizona has lost a total of 347,600 jobs since the recession began in 2007 and lost 50,500 jobs in January alone..http://www.evliving.com/2010/03/04/az-jobs-january-2010/ The unemployment crisis fuels and is fueled by the fact that Arizona, along with California, Florida, and Nevada, leads the nation in falling home sales and foreclosures. http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100221/BIZ/2210302

Job losses in the business and professional sector have lead unemployment numbers. Other hard hit industries include employment services, trade, transportation, and retail trade. Resource and mining jobs seem to be the least impacted by the recession, gaining jobs in January. http://www.evliving.com/2010/03/04/az-jobs-january-2010/

The highest unemployment rate in Arizona, among available statistics from 1976 to the present, was 11.6% in 1982, the product of the recession that began in early 1981. http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1983/02/art1exc.htm While the current rate for the entire state is 9.5%, many Arizona counties have much worse unemployment rates. Yuma County leads at 19.5%, followed by Apache County at 15.5%, Navajo County at 15.2%, and Greenlee County at 14.7%. http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/stress_index/index.html

The hardest hit counties also rate higher on the Associated Press International’s Stress Index. Yuma County rates at 21.51 for overall financial strain. Similarly, Apache, Navajo, and Greenlee Counties all rate between 15 and 20 on the stress index. http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_national/stress_index/index.html Projections for future unemployment in the state are that that the job loss rate will slow to 0.9% or a loss of about 21,600 more jobs for the year. http://www.evliving.com/2009/04/30/arizona-economic-projection/ However, one reason for the lower rates will be that people are simply leaving the state to look for work elsewhere and will no longer be counted as unemployed. http://blog.taragana.com/business/2010/01/11/hard-hit-counties-in-sun-belt-struggle-to-begin-an-economic-rebound-ap-stress-map-shows-19260/

Unemployment compensation is intended as temporary help and is available in Arizona for those who meet the following eligibility requirements:

1. Have earned wages during at least two quarters of the eligibility base period.
2. Have earned at least $1500 in one of the four quarters or $7000 in two.
3. Be out of work through no fault of your own. https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=317&id=3835

People seeking unemployment compensation who have left a job for any reason other than “lack of work” can apply and have their unemployment benefits determined based on applicable laws. If you are denied benefits for any reason, you may appeal within the time frame and have your case reopened. https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=317&id=3835

Unemployment claims can be filed online or by calling the Arizona Unemployment Insurance Call Center (toll free) at 1-877-600-2722.https://www.azdes.gov/landing.aspx?id=4211 https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=317&id=3853

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