During September, the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale area saw its unemployment rate stay steady at 8.6 percent, unchanged from August and a slight decrease from the area's 8.7 percent unemployment rate during July. The current rate also is lower than the national unemployment rate of 9.8 percent.

The area had a total non-farm employment of 1,708,800 workers during September, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is up from 1,700,500 workers during August, but an 8 percent decrease from last year.

Three industries saw an increase in employment on a monthly basis, including education and health services by 1,100 jobs, other services by 200 jobs and government by 15,100 jobs. The mining and logging industry employed 3,100 workers, the same as during August.

No industries managed to add jobs on a yearly basis. The construction industry took the biggest hit when compared to last year, employing 102,300 workers during September, which is down from 103,400 workers during August and a 25.5 percent decrease from last year. The next biggest yearly employment decline came in the mining and logging industry, which lost 20.5 percent of its jobs when compared to last year.

Other industries that saw an over-the-year decrease in employment include:

• manufacturing by 8 percent
• trade, transportation and utilities by 8.1 percent
• information by 5.3 percent
• financial activities by 6.5 percent
• professional and business services by 11.7 percent
• education and health services by 1 percent
• leisure and hospitality by 2.8 percent
• other services by 6.6 percent
• government by 5 percent