Phoenix, Arizona - Maricopa County added more jobs than any county in the nation from December 2018 to December 2019, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program — which tracks county labor force data. Maricopa County, the fourth-largest county in the nation, gained 89,328 jobs in that time period.
“Businesses and jobs continue to flock to Arizona for our light regulation, low tax environment and unbeatable quality of life,” said Governor Ducey. “This growth benefits communities across our state, and we will continue to focus on expanding opportunities for all of Arizona. My thanks to all the small business owners, entrepreneurs and innovators helping to make our state the best state for jobs in the nation.”
Los Angeles County, California gained 56,720 jobs — more than 30,000 less than Maricopa County. Following Los Angeles County was King County, Washington with 50,188 jobs.
Maricopa County experienced strong employment gains in:
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Trade, Transportation and Utilities: 16,300 new jobs
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Education and Health Services: 14,700 new jobs
Since 2015, Arizona has added more than 350,000 private-sector jobs. Additionally, Arizona exports increased 9.7 percent and reached $24.7 billion last year, a record-high for Arizona. The state’s exports to Mexico—Arizona’s number one international trade partner—grew by 7 percent. Manufacturing exports increased 7.5 percent, totaling $20.9 billion — the highest export amount in terms of dollars since the data have been tracked.