Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Falls In Nevada County

There is good news for Nevada County where unemployment is concerned.

According to the Arkansas Employment Security Department (ESD), the unemployment rate for Nevada County fell from 6.9 percent in October to 6.0 percent in November.

For the most part, counties surrounding Nevada also saw declines in their jobless figures.

Ironically, on of the only counties to see an increase was Clark County. It's unemployment number went from 3.0 percent to 3.2 percent for the recording period.

In Columbia County, the figures dropped from 6.6 percent in October to 6.2 percent in November.

Hempstead County saw a solid decline in its numbers, falling from 6.3 percent to 5.6 percent for the period in question.

Lafayette County remained unchanged, staying at 6.5 percent for both months.

Ouachita County enjoyed a fall in its numbers, as they changed from 9.4 percent to 9.0 percent.

In Pike County, the other county with an increase in the region, saw its jobless number climb from 4.5 percent to 4.6 percent.

The changes in the unemployment numbers are reflected in where area counties rank in the state.

Currently, Benton County has the lowest jobless rate in Arkansas at a minute 2.1 percent. The other end of the spectrum sees Woodruff County in 75th place with a whopping 15.2 percent unemployment.

Clark County, 3.2 percent, enters the tally in ninth place, while Pike County is next up at 4.6 percent in 28th place.

This is followed by Hempstead County, 5.6 percent, in 38th position and Nevada County, 6.0 percent, in 40th.

Columbia County, 6.2 percent, enters the list in 44th, with Lafayette, 6.5 percent, following in 47th.

Ouachita County, 9.0 percent, is down on the list in 69th place.

There are five counties with jobless rates from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, and 16 falling into the category of 3.0 to 3.9 percent.

A total of 10 counties compose the 4.0 to 4.9 percent slot, with eight in the 5.0 to 5.9 percent segment.

A massive 15 counties make up the 6.0 to 6.9 bracket, while another dozen fill in the 7.0 to 7.9 division.

Two counties are housed within the confines of the 8.0 to 8.9 percent area, with four in the 9.0 to 9.9 percent position.

A total of three counties in the state have double-digit unemployment. One, Mississippi, is in the 10.0 to 10.9 percent spot with a 10.9 percent figure.

Searcy County is another, and the only one in the 12.0 to 12.9 percent segment, at 12.2 percent. The third, Woodruff, is the lone county in the 15.0 to 15.9 percent slot at 15.2 percent.

A look at the state's five metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), shows, once again, the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA with the lowest unemployment figures at 2.6 percent, down from 2.7 percent a month earlier.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA is second on the list with a 3.2 percent figure. This MSA is also down, falling from 3.4 percent in October.

The Jonesboro MSA is third at 3.4 percent, unchanged during the recording period.

Fourth up is the Fort Smith MSA at 4.5 percent. This is a decline from 4.6 percent.

And, once again, the Pine Bluff MSA brings up the rear with the highest unemployment at 7.0 percent. This is an increase from October's 6.9 percent figure.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in November, down from 5.4 percent in October.

Nationally, the jobless rate saw a decline of two-tenths of a percent, falling to 4.4 percent from 4.6 percent.