TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — As the government shutdown puts federal workers on leave, there has been an uptick in unemployment numbers in Pima County compared to a year ago.
People across Pima County are looking for a job, but the search has been a struggle for a few.
Marian Haggard, an editor with a master’s degree, hasn’t been able to find work for over a year.
“I got laid off in June of ’24, along with two other editors from my department,” Haggard said. “I searched basically non-stop till probably about May of this year, and I had two interviews.”
Haggard says the daily rejection from employers has taken its toll.
“I’ve had depression for a while,” Haggard said. “I had to go on medication. There were some days that I just couldn’t do a job search, just because the lack of response was demoralizing.”
She’s not alone. Over 23 thousand people across Tucson are facing unemployment, according to the Federal Reserve Bank.
Marian is a part of a larger trend of unemployment that we’re seeing both statewide and nationally.
Statistics from Pima County One Stop show that the unemployment rate has steadily gone up by 1.9 percent from 2024 to September 2025.
The lowest rate was 2.9 percent in 2024, while the highest was reported in August of this year at four point eight percent.
Pima County Community and Workforce Manager Michael Gates did say unemployment rates are steady overall, but mentioned one thing taking people out of work.
“In recent months, we have seen some significant layoffs, particularly in the government sector, ” Gates said. “We’ve seen some fairly significant layoffs in the business support sector, more minor layoffs in aviation, in healthcare, and in the areas of research and development and community health workers.”
While the market may feel rough right now, Department of Economic Security Kevin Herring says agencies like Arizona Job Connection say they can help.
“People should know that wherever they are, there’s a place they can go and get full services to help them achieve their goal of getting a good, sustainable job,” Herring said. “It’s really important to sit down with a staff member to have those conversations, to look at the job market, to look where those opportunities may be that you’re just not aware of.
Workers like Haggard just hope that something changes soon.
“I have friends who are just suffering because they’re watching colleagues getting released and furloughed and such,” Haggard said. “It’s almost pointless sometimes.”
Pima County is hosting a job fair on October 20th from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. for anyone still looking for their next 9-to-5.
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