Pinal County Economic and Workforce Development :
Key Economic Indicators

The dashboards presented here are meant to provide convenient access to Key Economic Indicators which are particularly relavant to Pinal County, AZ. The data are from various sources including the United States Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics among others. The sources of the data used in each visualization are referenced in the visualization. References to the dashboards on this webpage should always refer to the original data sources.

Data are collected by the sources at varying frequencies. For example, data on Unemployment statistics from the LAUS program are released on a monthly schedule which can be found on their website, while county population estimates are produced on a yearly basis by the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity. Furthermore, revisions to the most current data estimates are often made between new data releases. The links to source data provided in the visualizations should be referenced for information regarding data revisions.

At A Glance

Population

The Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) produces the official population estimates and projections for the State of Arizona based on their own methodology. July 1 population estimates for the State of Arizona, its counties and incorporated places are published by December 15th each year (OEO population).

Based on the estimates of the OEO, the population of Pinal County, Arizona is estimated to be nearly 440,000 as of July 2021. The population of Pinal County has grown every year in the past 10 years with accelerated growth occurring around 2016 and continuing to this day.

Civilian Labor Force, Employment and Unemployment Rate

The Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program is a federal-state cooperative effort in which monthly estimates of total employment and unemployment are prepared for over 7,500 geographic and statistical areas. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics website, "The concepts and definitions underlying LAUS data come from the Current Population Survey (CPS), the household survey that is the source of the national unemployment rate. State monthly model-based estimates are controlled in "real time" to sum to national monthly employment and unemployment estimates from the CPS. These models combine current and historical data from the CPS, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, and state unemployment insurance (UI) systems."

The Economic Business Research Center (ERBC) at The University of Arizona Eller College of Management adjusts the data provided by the LAUS program for seasonal effects such as holiday related employment changes.

The civilian labor force, or just labor force, includes all people age 16 and older who are classified as either employed or unemployed. These are people that are either working or actively looking for work. Those that are active duty military personnel or institutionalized are not included in the civilian labor force (BLS definitions).

The unemployment rate is the ratio of the unemployed population to the labor force. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020 the unemployment rate in Pinal County jumped to nearly 13% (Arizona 13.9%, US 14.7%).

Wages and Employment
by Industry

Pinal County, Arizona private sector average weekly wages and average monthly employment levels during the fourth quarter of 2021. Data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. QCEW provides the most detailed private sector employment and wage estimates by industry for the U.S., all states, metro areas, and counties.

QCEW monthly employment data represent the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period that included the 12th day of the month. Covered employees in the private-sector and in the state and local government include most corporate officials, all executives, all supervisory personnel, all professionals, all clerical workers, many farmworkers, all wage earners, all piece workers, and all part-time workers. Workers on paid sick leave, paid holiday, paid vacation, and the like are also covered.

QCEW wages data represent the total compensation paid during the calendar quarter, regardless of when the services were performed. Covered employer contributions to old-age, survivors, and disability insurance, health insurance, UI, workers' compensation and private pension and welfare funds are not reported as wages. Employee contributions for the same purposes, however, as well as money withheld for income taxes, union dues, and so forth, are reported, even though they are deducted from the worker’s gross pay (CEW overview).

Workforce Inflow-Outflow
Pinal County

The Census Bureau's OnTheMap tool is a web-based mapping application that shows where workers are employed and where they live. The application merges data from numerous sources including Unemployment Insurance (UI) Wage Records, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program, and LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES). Longitudinal Employer–Household Dynamics (LEHD) data are the result of a partnership between the Census Bureau and U.S. states to provide high quality local labor market information and to improve the Census Bureau's economic and demographic data programs.

A primary job is defined as the highest paying public or private-sector job for an individual worker. Therefore, there is one worker for each primary job. The terms "primary jobs" and "workers" are interchangeable. An analysis of 2019 data show nearly 80% of the workers living in Pinal County were employed outside of the county.



By far, Phoenix was the most popular work place destination with nearly a quarter of those workers living in the county traveling to Phoenix for work.