Arizona' s near record-low unemployment is increasing - Axios PhoenixLog InLog InAxios Phoenix is an Axios company.

Arizona' s near record-low unemployment is increasing

Reproduced from . Chart: Axios VisualsUnemployment in Arizona increased for the second time in three months, though total joblessness is still near a historic low. Driving the news: Arizona's unemployment rate rose from 3.3% to 3.5% in August, according to the monthly jobs report from the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA).Nationally, the unemployment rate jumped to 3.7% from 3.5% in August.Arizona's 3.2% unemployment rate in June was the lowest since at least 1976. Yes, but: Total employment and total jobs both increased in August.Total employment increased by 11,137, while the state added 46,300 non-farm jobs.The majority of those new jobs were in the government sector, largely due to the start of the new school year.People who are out of work between school years don't count toward the unemployment rate because it's seasonally adjusted. The big picture: Doug Walls, the labor market information director at the ACA's Office of Economic Opportunity, doesn't view the second unemployment rate increase in three months as particularly worrisome. What they're saying: "I would say, given that the unemployment rate has been at historic lows, to see it increase from those lows isn't necessarily a concern in and of itself. It's definitely something to continue to monitor moving forward," Walls tells Axios.Walls says there's a view at the national level that the economy has been growing too quickly, causing the over the past year. 1 big number: Average hourly earnings in Arizona increased by 6.9% last month, which Walls attributes to a competitive hiring market.The leisure and hospitality, construction, education and health services sectors primarily drove that wage growth. That's notably divergent from the national hourly wage, which dipped by 4.4% in August. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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