County’s unemployment rate drops

According to data from Arizona Labor Statistics, Pinal County's unemployment rate for October is listed at 7 percent. This is the fifth straight month the county has seen a drop in its unemployment rate.

The State of Arizona's unemployment rate for the same month is at 6.6 percent.

"This is certainly welcome news," Board of Supervisors Chairman Anthony Smith said.  "It shows that our recent efforts in the area of economic development are beginning to pay dividends."
 
The latest workforce survey showed that Pinal County has 142,000 residents eligible to be part of the labor force. The report from the state highlighted that 133,368 were employed in the month of October.
 
Pinal County's Economic Development Director Tim Kanavel said the October numbers are significant due to the fact that seasonal workers were not counted in the statistics. 
 
"Seasonal workers that department stores usually hire will skew the numbers a bit," Kanavel said. "This latest report shows us true numbers for the county. In 2014, Pinal County has gone from a high of 8.3 percent to a low of 7 percent.  This shows us that there is still room for employment and growth."
 
Kanavel added that some economists look at a baseline unemployment rate of 5 percent as having a full employment rate.
 
"As they see it," Kanavel said, "everyone who wants to be employed is employed."
 
Since 2013, the Board of Supervisors has declared that economic development would take a primary role as the county moves forward. Since that time, Pinal County has focused its efforts on five employment areas: Aerospace/Defense, Manufacturing, Health Services, Natural/Renewable Resources along with Transportation and Logistics. 
 
"This move has resonated across the state," Smith said. "We are also focusing our efforts on a regional scale. Our recent inclusion into the Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities agency speaks volumes for our current and future success at luring good paying jobs that not only affect Pinal County, but the entire state."
 
Smith sits as a board member of Tucson Regional Economic Opportunities.
In the past year, the county, along with its cities and towns have had the chance to tout successes that helped to move the unemployment numbers lower.
 
"We have seen a lot of movement on behalf of a lot of local companies when it comes to increasing employment," Kanavel said. "We have seen a longtime Coolidge business, Stinger Welding, expand their operations. We are also seeing Casa Grande companies like Hexcel, Abbott Labs and Frito Lay making moves to hire more people. Even our dairy industry is picking up as well."