Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Clark County Unemployment Declines

Economic news in Clark County just keeps getting better.

According to figures released from the Arkansas Employment Security Division, the unemployment rate in the county has fallen from 3.3 percent in September to the October number of 2.7 percent.

However, the news wasn't as good for counties surrounding Clark County, though Ouachita County's rate fell nearly a full percentage point. Four other counties, however, saw their unemployment rates go up during the month.

Dallas County saw its employment rate fall from 5.4 percent in September to October's 4.1 percent. Dallas County showed the largest change for counties surrounding Clark.

Hot Spring County saw the number of its citizens without a job rise from 4.2 percent to 4.7 percent. Montgomery County's jobless rate rose from 3.3 percent to a whopping 4.7 percent from September to October, while Nevada County's rate dropped from 6.6 to 6.0 percent.

Ouachita County was pleased to see its unemployment rate fall from 8.8 percent to an even 8.0 percent. Pike County, on the other hand, saw its figures rise from 3.6 percent to 4.0 percent during the month.

In checking where counties rank according to their jobless numbers, Clark County comes in at sixth with its 2.7 figure. The northwest sector of Arkansas still has the lowest unemployment in the state.

Pike County is ranked 22nd with its 4.0 number, while Dallas County follows in 23rd at 4.1 percent. Hot Spring and Montgomery counties are tied at 34th with their 4.7 percent marks, while Nevada County is 59th.

Once again, Ouachita County has the highest unemployment rate in the entire state and is ranked 75th.

Six of Arkansas' 75 counties have jobless rates from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, with Washington County turning in the lowest rate at 2.3 percent.

There are 15 counties in the state falling in the 3.0 to 3.9 percent unemployment bracket, while 19 have jobless numbers from 4.0 to 4.9 percent. Another 17 counties show unemployment figures from 5.0 to 5.9 percent, with 11 falling in the 6.0 to 6.9 region. Five counties have rates from 7.0 to 7.9 percent, with Ouachita County coming in with the highest jobless rate at 8.0 percent.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in October, down 0.1 percent from September's 5.0 percent.

The state's unemployment rate continues to be lower than the seasonally adjusted national average of 5.5 percent. The actual unemployment rate in the nation is 5.2 percent.

Arkansas saw the jobless rate fall in 39 counties from September to October, while it rose in 23 and stayed the same in 13.

Examining the state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA is again the lowest with a 2.3 percent rate. Pine Bluff's MSA continues to have the highest jobless rate at 5.8 percent.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA is 3.2 percent, while Fort Smith's MSA figures is 4.8 percent.