PREVIEW OF FRIDAY'S PROGRAM: OCTOBER JOBS

posted by Melanie Huonker

The Arizona Department of Administration will release its October jobs report Thursday at a 10 a.m. press conference in Phoenix.

The report is expected to show if there will be a temporary increase in retail sector jobs in preparation for the holiday season. For the past year, the jobs report demonstrated an upward look for Arizona.

In September, the Arizona Republic reported, the state unemployment rate fell to 9.1 percent, dropping two-tenths of a point to match the U.S. rate. Arizona added 26,100 jobs.

The hiring of school employees at the beginning of the school year helped the state add 19,600 public sector jobs. The private sector added 4,100 jobs. This marked the first month since 2006 that Arizona added rather than eliminated private sector jobs.

Another section that saw gains was construction, which added 3,700 jobs. That's a 6.3% increase from August.

However, according to the Phoenix Business Journal, the September jobs reports showed that Phoenix had a 155 percent growth in the number of people out of work, compared with four years earlier, an increase of 104,000.

Furthermore, according to the Arizona Republic, professional services in finance and business lost jobs, each dropping 1,500.

What will the jobs report look like for October? What will it mean for Arizona’s economic outlook?

Friday’s program will break down the numbers in the report to identify if it’s the right growth to meet Arizona’s needs.