Maricopa unemployment dips slightly

The unemployment rate in Maricopa dipped to 13.5 percent in August, according to numbers released by the Arizona Department of Commerce.

While the 13.5 percent is roughly 1.3 percent higher than Pinal County’s unemployment rate and 3.5 percent higher than the state’s rate, it represents a decrease from the city’s July rate of 13.7 percent.

For the year, the city’s average unemployment rate is 13.2 percent compared to the county’s 11.9 percent and the state’s 9.7 percent.