Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rate Is Down

Nevada County's unemployment rate dropped nearly two percentage points from January to February.

According to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division, the jobless figures fell from 9.0 percent to 7.1 percent for the recording period.

All counties surrounding Nevada County saw declines in their unemployment numbers as well.

The numbers in Clark County went from 4.4 percent to 3.5 percent.

Columbia County's figures dropped from 8.2 to 7.4 percent, with Hempstead County having a smaller drop, going from 6.7 to 6.4 percent.

In Lafayette County, the decline was more significant, going from 10.1 percent to 8.7 percent.

Ouachita County's figures went from 11.0 to 10.2 percent, while Pike County's numbers dropped from 6.6 to 6.0 percent.

A look at where counties rank according to their unemployment numbers shows Clark County in sixth, with Pike County next on the list in 33rd.

Hempstead County entered the tally in 36th, with Nevada County ranked 41.

Columbia County rates 43rd on the list, while Lafayette County comes in at 53rd, with Ouachita County ranked 66th.

The lowest unemployment rate in the state was in Benton County, 2.6 percent, while the highest was Woodruff County, 15.5 percent.

A check of the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) again shows the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA with the lowest jobless rate at 2.9 percent, down from 3.3 percent.

Next on the list was the Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA at 3.5 percent, dropping from 3.8 percent, with the Jonesboro MSA third at 3.9 percent, down from 4.3 percent.

The Fort Smith MSA is fourth on the list with its 4.8 percent unemployment, down from 5.5 percent.

Once again the Pine Bluff MSA had the highest figures at 8.2 percent, though it fell from 8.8 percent.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in February, down from January's 5.1 percent.

Nationally, the figures rose from 4.3 to 4.4 percent.