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Friday, Jul. 25, 2025

Has Arizona slipped from a top state for job growth to one of the lowest-ranked?

Tallulah Anne, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
yes

Yes. As of June 2025, Arizona ranked 47th in the country for year-to-date job growth — a sharp decline from June 2024, when the state ranked third, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data compiled by the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University. Between May and June 2025 alone, roughly 8,400 Arizonans lost their jobs.

Job growth in the state has steadily declined since 2023, according to the University of Arizona’s Economic and Business Research Center, with job losses reported across industries including construction, leisure and hospitality, and government. Business services, especially temporary and contract jobs, have also seen reduced demand. 

Recent reports from the University of Arizona’s Economic and Business Research Center and the Common Sense Institute cite housing affordability, high interest rates, and slower population growth as key factors contributing to the state’s employment trends.

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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.

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