Graham County Leads Arizona Job Growth Forecast
State projections show health care and construction will drive employment gains across all 15 Arizona counties over the next decade.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Employment
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The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity issued its Projected Employment Report on Thursday, forecasting job growth in every county over the next 10 years. Graham County is projected to post the fastest annual growth rate in the state at 1.3 percent.
Why it matters
Graham County's projected lead is tied to the pending Freeport-McMoRan Safford mining expansion and a proposed new hospital from Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center. For Arizona residents, the forecast points to health care as the largest source of new jobs statewide.
The Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity's 10-year projection puts health care job growth at 2.1 percent annually and construction at 1.9 percent, with Graham County leading counties at 1.3 percent and Cochise County lowest at 0.2 percent. Whether the projected Safford mining and hospital developments proceed as planned remains unresolved.
The players
Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity
The Arizona state office responsible for economic data, planning, and projections that issued the employment report.
Freeport-McMoRan
A major international mining company whose Safford operation expansion is pending federal land approval.
Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center
A regional hospital in Graham County that has proposed building a new four-story facility.
The details
The projection covers all 15 Arizona counties and identifies health care as the sector expected to create the most jobs statewide. Graham County's forecast rests on two pending developments: an expansion of the Freeport-McMoRan Safford mining operation, awaiting a land swap with the Bureau of Land Management, and a proposed four-story hospital from Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center.
Timeline
Thursday: Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity issues the Projected Employment Report.
2026 to 2036: The 10-year employment forecast period covered by the report.
Roadmap
This report extends the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity's recurring 10-year county-level employment projections, which now point to health care and construction as the leading growth sectors. The Graham County finding reflects how regional mining and hospital developments shape county-level forecasts within that framework.
Arizona residents seeking work in health care or construction may find the strongest projected hiring over the next decade, particularly in Graham County. The growth figures are long-range projections, so job availability will depend on whether the pending Safford mining expansion and proposed hospital are approved and built.
The takeaway
Health care and construction are projected to be Arizona's strongest hiring sectors, so workers in those fields may find the best opportunities statewide. Long-range county projections depend on pending approvals, so they should be read as estimates rather than guarantees.
Further reading
For related coverage, browse Employment news across Arizona's counties and industries.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Gilavalleycentral.
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