Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Jobless Rate Rises Again

January's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for Nevada County was horrendous as the figure climbed from 8.3 percent to 8.9 percent.

According to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division (ESD), the year began badly for all surrounding counties as well.

Clark County saw its jobless figures climb from 3.8 to 4.2 percent, though the actual number of people seeking jobs was only 25.

In Columbia County, the numbers rose from 7.4 percent to 8.1 percent, as 75 more residents of the county found themselves seeking employment.

Hempstead County's figures rose slightly, though the number of people looking for jobs was unchanged. Its figures went from 6.5 percent to 6.6 percent for the recording period.

The numbers in Lafayette County skyrocketed, going from 7.9 percent in December to 10.1 percent in January, as another 75 people found themselves jobless.

Ouachita County returned to the double-digit realm of unemployment as its figures rose from 9.7 percent to 10.8 percent. According to ESD data, some 125 more people found themselves needing jobs for the recording period.

Pike County's numbers also rose, going from 5.6 percent to 6.6 percent as 50 more of its residents were without work.

Ironically, even with the jobless rate rising in these counties, and there being 16 counties with unemployment figures higher than 10 percent, the state's overall figures declined a tenth of a percent, falling from 5.2 percent to 5.2 percent.

There was only one county in Arkansas with an unemployment rate from 2.0 to 2.9 percent. Benton County's figure was a minuscule 2.7 percent for the period.

Five counties recorded jobless numbers from 3.o to 3.9 percent, while there were 12 housed in the 4.0 to 4.9 percent bracket.

Five other counties had unemployment rates from 5.0 to 5.9 percent, with 16 counties falling in the 6.0 to 6.9 percent region.

The 7.0 to 7.9 percent category had only three counties, but the 8.0 to 8.9 percent division contained seven.

There were 10 counties recording jobless rates from 9.0 to 9.9 percent, and six showing figures from 10.0 to 10.9 percent.

There were three counties each in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent area, as well as the12.0 to 12.9 percent slot, with two in the 13.0 to 13.9 percent range.

One county recorded a jobless rate in the 14.0 to 14.9 percent bracket, with one, Woodruff (17.7 percent), in the 17.0 to 17.9 percent category.

The unemployment rate also increased in the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) for the recording period.

Still, the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA remained low at 3.2 percent, rising from 2.8 percent a month earlier.

The Pine Bluff MSA remained the highest in the state at 8.7 percent, climbing from 8.5 percent.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA went from 3.4 to 3.8 percent, with the Jonesboro MSA changing from 3.6 percent to 4.1 percent.

The Fort Smith MSA rose from 5.0 percent to 5.3 percent.