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Arizona unemployment rate up as economy loses 46,800 jobs

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Arizona's unemployment rate notched upward in January as the state's economy lost tens of thousands of jobs.

Office of Economic Opportunity researchers report that Arizona's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.8 percent in January from 4.7 percent in December.

The January rate compares with 5.2 percent in January 2017.

The office says January's loss of 46,800 jobs was less than the average loss of 51,700 jobs since the Great Recession, with the private sector accounting for 70 percent of positions lost in January.

All but one of 11 economic sectors lost jobs, with professional and business services shedding 9,000 jobs, government losing 13,900 jobs and trade, transportation and utilities dropping 14,200 positions.