Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rate Rises Sharply

There was bad news in Clark County where the unemployment rate was concerned.

The December figures, according to the Arkansas Employment Security Division (ESD), showed the jobless rate climbing from 3.0 percent in November to 3.6 percent in the final month of 1998.

But, Clark County wasn't the only one to see its unemployment numbers rise. The surrounding counties, without exception, had the same problem.

In Dallas County the figures skyrocketed from 6.8 percent in November to 10.6 percent in December.

Hot Spring County's numbers climbed from 4.9 percent to 6.0 percent for the recording period.

In Montgomery County, the jobless stats showed an increase from 3.8 percent to 5.2 percent.

Nevada County's numbers rose almost two full percentage points, climbing from 6.0 percent to 7.9 percent.

The numbers in Ouachita County also went up, but still managed to avoid double-digit status. The jobless rate went from 9.0 percent in November to December's 9.9 percent.

The increase in Pike County was considerably smaller as the change was from 5.1 percent to 5.6 percent.

Checking where counties ranked based on their unemployment Benton County stands alone in first place with a 2.3 percent figure. The 75th ranked county is Woodruff with a whopping 16.3 percent jobless rate.

Clark County managed to stay in the top 10, in 10th, with its 3.6 percent figure, while Montgomery County entered the tally in 25th place.

Next up is Hot Spring County in 34th, while Nevada County enters the list in 50th position.

Ouachita County ranks 66th on the list, with Dallas County in 69th.

Benton County is the only one in the state with a jobless rate from 2.0 to 2.9 percent.

There are 11 counties recording unemployment figures from 3.0 to 3.9 percent and another 12 showing 4.0 to 4.9 percent joblessness.

The 5.0 to 5.9 percent bracket contains nine counties, with eight confined in the 6.0 to 6.9 percent division.

Another 10 counties find themselves with jobless numbers from 7.0 to 7.9 percent, with the 8.0 to 8.9 percent category housing the most counties with 12.

Three counties have figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent, with a like number in the 10.0 to 10.9 percent position.

Three other counties recorded 11.0 to 11.9 percent numbers, with two confined in the 12.0 to 12.9 percent bloc.

Again, Woodruff County is all alone in the 16.0 to 16.9 percent region.

A total of nine counties in Arkansas registered unemployment rates greater than 10 percent for the month of December.

Looking at the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA again has the lowest unemployment rate at 2.8 percent, but this is up from 2.6 percent a month earlier.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock and Jonesboro MSAs had identical figures at 3.5 percent for December. This was no change for Jonesboro, but an increase for the Little Rock-North Little Rock area from 3.2 percent.

The Fort Smith MSA rose from 4.6 percent to 5.0 percent for the period in question, while the Pine Bluff MSA saw a significant rise in its unemployment, going from 7.1 percent to 8.5 percent.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in December, unchanged from November.

Nationally, the figure declined a tenth of a point, falling to 4.3 percent.