Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Feb. Unemployment Down

February in Nevada County saw a decline in the unemployment rate.

According to the Arkansas Employment Security Division (ESD), the jobless figures in January showed 5.7 percent of the county's residents unemployed. This, though, dropped to 4.9 percent in February.

With the exception of Ouachita County, all other surrounding counties enjoyed a decline in unemployment. Ouachita County's figures rose from 7.7 percent to 9.2 percent.

Clark County's numbers fell from 4.1 percent to 3.5 percent, while Columbia County saw a drop from 6.4 to 5.4 percent for the recording period.

Hempstead County's decline was smaller, from 4.7 to 4.4 percent, with Lafayette County's a bit more substantial, as it went from 7.4 percent to 6.6 percent.

Pike County's figures went from 6.5 percent to an even 5.0 percent.

In spite of the unemployment rate falling in 55 counties across the state, the overall jobless rate rose from 4.3 percent to 4.4 percent.

Seven counties in the state are suffering from double-digit unemployment, with Mississippi County having the worst problem with a 13.8 percent jobless rate.

Benton County, though, has no such problem, as it's figure is a scant 1.9 percent.

Checking where the counties rank based on their jobless rates, Nevada County comes in 28th.

Clark County enters the tally in 10th place, with Hempstead County 21st.

Pike County is right behind Nevada County in 29th, with Lafayette County coming in 44th.

Ouachita County joins the list in 65th place.

One county had a jobless figure from 1.0 to 1.9 percent, with one also in the 2.0 to 2.9 percent range.

There were 10 counties in the state registering unemployment rates from 3.0 to 3.9 percent and 16 in the 4.0 to 4.9 percent bracket.

Thirteen counties had jobless rates from 5.0 to 5.9 percent, with six showing figures from 6.0 to 6.9 percent.

There were nine counties in the 7.0 to 7.9 percent division, and seven in the 8.0 to 8.9 percent category.

Five counties in the state had figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent, with four showing jobless rates from 10.0 to 10.9 percent.

One county was in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent slot, with one also in the 12.0 to 12.9 percent area, and one with unemployment figures from 13.0 to 13.9 percent.

The Fayetteville-Rogers-Springdale Metropolitan Statistical Area had its jobless rate drop from 2.3 percent to 2.1 percent.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA went from 3.7 percent to 3.4 percent, while the Jonesboro MSA also enjoyed a drop, going from 4.4 percent to 4.1 percent.

Fort Smith's MSA had a significant jump, rising from 3.8 percent to 4.5 percent.

In the Pine Bluff MSA, the figures dropped from 8.8 percent to 8.0 percent.