Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Jobless Rate Up

January was a bad month for employment in Arkansas as the jobless rate rose from 4.2 percent to 4.4 percent.

In fact, the unemployment rate rose in 74 of the state's 75 counties, with Van Buren County being the only one see a decline, going from 7.4 percent in December to 7.0 percent in January.

This, according to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division, was because of a recall from a temporary layoff in the county.

In Clark County though, the jobless rate rose from 2.2 to 3.2 percent for the recording period.

The unemployment figures went up in all surrounding counties as well.

Dallas County saw its jobless numbers skyrocket from 5.4 percent to 7.9 percent, while Hot Spring County's figures climbed from 3.9 percent to 5.6 percent.

The increase was less in Montgomery County as the numbers went from 4.0 percent to 4.7 percent.

In Nevada County the rise went from 5.1 percent to 6.1 percent.

Ouachita County saw its unemployment rate go from 6.9 percent to 8.3 percent, while Pike County's numbers climbed two full percentage points from 4.0 percent to 6.0 percent.

In all, eight counties in the state had figures of double-digit unemployment.

Once again, Benton County had the lowest numbers at 2.4 percent, while Woodruff County was at the other end of the spectrum with 13.0 percent unemployment.

Looking at where counties ranked based on these figures, Clark County entered the list in fifth place with its 3.2 percent number.

Next up was Montgomery County in 19th place, while Hot Spring County made the cut in 31st.

Pike County was 38th, while Nevada County was right behind in 40th.

With its 7.9 percent rate, Dallas County came in at 58th, while Ouachita County made the cut in 61st place.

Three counties recorded jobless figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, while a total of eight had 3.0 to 3.9 percent numbers.

There were 10 counties with unemployment rates of 4.0 to 4.9 percent and another 15 falling into the 5.0 to 5.9 percent category.

The 6.0 to 6.9 percent division housed 10 counties, with 12 counties ensconced in the 7.0 to 7.9 percent segment.

Five counties recorded 8.0 to 8.9 percent figures, with four counties having rates from 9.0 to 9.9 percent.

Two counties, Calhoun and Phillips, fell into the 10.0 to 10.9 percent slot, with one, Chicot, in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent bracket.

Four counties, Desha, Mississippi, Conway and Jackson, made up the 12.0 to 12.9 percent section.

Woodruff County, with its 13.0 percent figures, was the only one in the 13.0 to 13.9 percent division.

A check of the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) shows rises in all of their jobless figures.

Still, the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA had the lowest number at 2.5 percent, though this was an increase from 2.0 percent.

Next was the Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA, going from 2.9 percent to 3.7 percent. This was followed by the Jonesboro MSA, with a rise from 3.2 percent to 3.9 percent.

The Fort Smith MSA rose from 3.4 to 4.3 percent during the recording period, while the Pine Bluff MSA jumped from 6.4 percent to 7.7 percent.

While Arkansas's unemployment rose in January, the national figure dropped from 4.1 percent to 4.0 percent.