Yuma County wages below state, national averages

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) - Weekly wages in Yuma County are near the bottom for Arizona and well below the state and national averages.

A report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes only 2 of Arizona's 15 counties reported wages above the national average of $903 for the second quarter of 2012.

Leading Arizona with an average weekly wage of $1,022 was Greenlee County. That's home of the Morenci Mine, the largest copper mining operation in North America.

The average weekly wage in Maricopa County was $905. Six counties reported average weekly wages under $700 including Yuma County at $668.

At the bottom of the list is La Paz County at $604.

The Yuma Sun (http://bit.ly/Z9SEGK ) says Yuma chronically has 1 of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at nearly 30%.

Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.