Employment declined in 2 of the 3 largest counties in Arizona from December 2024 to December 2025, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that Pima County had the largest over-the-year decrease in employment, with a loss of 0.8 percent, followed by a 0.1-percent decrease in Maricopa. Employment rose 3.0 percent in Pinal. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in covered employment among the largest counties in Arizona, December 2025

County	Percent change, December 2025
Pinal	3.0
Maricopa	-0.1
Pima	-0.8

Maricopa County (2,318,500) had the highest employment level in Arizona in December 2025. Together, the three largest counties accounted for 85.1 percent of total covered employment within the state. Nationwide, the 372 largest counties comprise 73.4 percent of total covered employment in the United States. (Large counties and county equivalents are those with annual average employment levels of 75,000 or more in 2024.)

Average weekly wage gains in 2 of 3 large counties in Arizona were above the national average of 4.2 percent. (See chart 2.) Pinal had the largest gain (+6.4 percent). Wages also increased for Pima (+4.8 percent) and Maricopa (+2.3 percent).

  

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Chart 2. Over-the-year percent change in covered average weekly wages among the largest counties in Arizona, fourth quarter 2025

County	Percent change, fourth quarter 2025
Pinal	6.4
Pima	4.8
Maricopa	2.3

Weekly wages in all three large counties in Arizona were below the national average of $1,569: $1,512 in Maricopa, $1,293 in Pima, and $1,218 in Pinal.

Employment and wage levels (but not over-the-year changes) are also available for the 12 small counties in Arizona, defined as having employment below 75,000 in 2024. (See table 2.) Wage levels in 11 of the 12 smaller counties were below the national average. Greenlee reported the highest average weekly wage ($1,683) in the state. La Paz reported the lowest average weekly wage ($1,038).

Among all 15 Arizona counties, 4 reported average weekly wages less than $1,125, 3 had wages from $1,125 to $1,174, 4 had wages from $1,175 to $1,224, and 4 had average weekly wages of $1,225 or higher. (See map 1 and table 2.)