Metro Phoenix adds 90K jobs in last year as unemployment rate continues to fall

PHOENIX — Metro Phoenix gained about 90,000 jobs over the past year as the unemployment rate continued to dip, according to a new report from the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity.

The hires happened over the 12-month span that ended in February. As a result, Phoenix’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.1%, down 3.6% from February 2021 and a tenth of a percent since January.

Increased tourism as the city continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal hiring and new restaurants aided in the food and beverage industry having the most new jobs.

The sector added 21,000 positions, followed by the retail industry with 15,000 jobs.

Professional, technical and scientific positions had the third-most growth by volume, adding more than 12,000 new positions.

Manufacturing, health care and construction were also top job growers during the time period.

Statewide, nearly 127,000 jobs were added year-over-year, with 30% of jobs coming from outside of metro Phoenix.

Dining and retail were the fastest-growing industries outside of the Valley.

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