Yuma County's unemployment rate in December was 12.9 percent, the highest among the state's 15 counties.

Nationwide, unemployment rates are Same as pre-COVID ratesIt had been hovering between 3.5% and 4% for most of the past two years. The unemployment rate was 3.7% in January, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prior to that, the unemployment rate had spiked to 14.7% at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, and that rate remained elevated into late 2021.

While the national unemployment rate has nearly normalized, local economies vary widely. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data Analyze Yuma County's unemployment rate over time and compare it to the unemployment rate in Arizona and across the United States.

Yuma County's unemployment rate is 9.2 percentage points higher than the national average and 8.6 percentage points higher than the state average. It ranks first among Arizona counties, breaking ties for the number of unemployed and the number of people who are unemployed in the preliminary December 2023 unemployment rate. Yuma County has the highest unemployment rate in the state, followed by Apache County (7.3%).

In real terms, that means 12,922 of Yuma County's roughly 100,489 employed people are currently unemployed. That's 1,876 fewer than last month and 2,133 more than a year ago. Some economists worry a new recession is on the way, and that business closures and layoffs could push up the unemployment rate.

This article was written by Paxtyn Merten and based on data reporting, using automation across 3,100 counties, boroughs and parishes.