Arizona unemployment rate remains at 9.7 percent

Arizona’s unemployment rate stands at 9.7 percent for the second consecutive month.

A Department of Commerce report released Thursday says the state added 16,000 jobs in September from August, when the 9.7 percent jobless rate was the state’s highest since 9.8 percent in August 1983.

The state’s unemployment rate stood at 9.6 percent in May through July.

Most of the jobs added in September were in public education as the new school year began. Employment in the private sector inched upward with a net gain of 700 jobs.

Overall in September, six economic sectors gained jobs and five lost jobs.