Department of Numbers

Tucson, Arizona Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Tucson fell 0.8 percentage points in January 2021 to 7.1%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Arizona rate. The unemployment rate in Tucson peaked in April 2020 at 13.1% and is now 6.0 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 5.6% in August 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 1.5 percentage points. You can also compare Tucson unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate January 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.3% -0.4 +2.8
Arizona 6.7% -0.1 +1.9
Tucson 7.1% -0.8 +2.8
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with January 2021 data as February metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Tucson, Arizona, National

Tucson, Arizona monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Tucson, Arizona Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Tucson peaked in April 2020 at 64,896. There are now 29,660 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 26,779 in August 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 8,457. Tucson employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Tucson, Arizona) is also available.

Unemployed Persons January 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Tucson 35,236 -3,963 +13,848

Number of Unemployed Persons

Tucson, Arizona Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Arizona
Unemployment Rate		 Tucson
Unemployment Rate		 Tucson
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 6.9% — —
January
2021		 6.3% 6.7% 7.1% 35,236
December
2020		 6.7% 6.8% 7.9% 39,199
November
2020		 6.7% 6.8% 8.0% 39,695
October
2020		 6.9% 6.8% 7.9% 39,301
September
2020		 7.8% 6.9% 6.3% 30,925
August
2020		 8.4% 7.0% 5.6% 26,779
July
2020		 10.2% 10.4% 10.3% 51,614
June
2020		 11.1% 10.7% 9.6% 47,693
May
2020		 13.3% 10.6% 8.7% 43,294
April
2020		 14.8% 14.2% 13.1% 64,896

1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩

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