After one of the steepest unemployment drops in the nation in August, Arizona’s jobless rate ticked up slightly in September – but this comes with good news. Arizona added 30,200 nonfarm jobs in September with the private sector recording a gain of 19,400 jobs. Historically, nonfarm employment has averaged a gain of 28,700 jobs in September. (Office of Economic Opportunity Press Release, October 15, 2020)

Why the unemployment increase? Doug Walls, labor market information director with the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, sites at least one of the reasons for the increased jobless rate is that more than 150,000 people returned to the labor force. This translates to an overall positive look ahead, as Walls says individuals are “actively engaged and looking for work.”

As highly-skilled candidates begin re-engaging with the workforce, now is the time for companies to create a hiring plan to get the right talent on their team. If you need help developing a plan to suit your hiring needs, contact our team of experts today and leverage our 65 years of experience as Arizona’s premier staffing agency.