Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Is Unchanged

Nevada County's unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.4 percent from July to August, according to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division.

The jobless figures fluxuated in surrounding counties.

Clark County enjoyed stability with its 3.6 percent numbers for the period in question, while Columbia County's figures fall from 7.0 percent to 6.4 percent.

The figures in Hempstead County dropped from 7.2 percent to 6.8 percent, with Lafayette County's numbers also falling, going from 8.3 to 7.8 percent.

Ouachita County's luck wasn't as good as its unemployment rate went back into double figures, climbing from 9.8 percent to an even 10.0 percent.

Pike County had a similar fate, with its jobless numbers rising from 3.9 percent to 4.3 percent.

A check of ratings according to unemployment stats shows Benton and Carroll counties with the lowest jobless rates in the state at 2.7 percent.

Clark County enters the standings in 12th with its 3.6 percent figure, with Pike County in 25th place.

Columbia County finds itself in 44th place on the tally with a 6.4 percent rating, tied with Nevada County.

Hempstead County is on the list in 53rd position with a 6.8 percent rate, with Lafayette County entering the foray in 64th place.

Ouachita County made the roll in 72nd place, while Woodruff County registered the highest unemployment in the state at 11.1 percent.

Four counties in Arkansas had jobless figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, while there were 17 counties with numbers from 3.0 to 3.9 percent.

The 4.0 to 4.9 percent bracket houses 13 counties, with six counties making up the 5.0 to 5.9 percent division.

There are 15 counties in the 6.0 to 6.9 percent slot, and 10 more comprising the 7.0 to 7.9 percent region.

There are three counties with jobless rates of 8.0 to 8.9 percent and another three with figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent.

A third set of three counties make up the 10.0 to 10.9 percent realm, while one, Woodruff, is in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent range.

Looking at the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), the Fayetteville- Rogers-Springdale MSA again has the lowest jobless rate at 3.1 percent, down from 3.4 percent in July.

Pine Bluff enjoyed a drop in its unemployment numbers, falling from 8.2 percent to 7.6 percent, but still remaining fifth in the poll.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA was second on the list with its rate falling from 3.8 to 3.5 percent.

Next up was the Jonesboro MSA, dropping from July's 4.0 to 3.7 percent in August.

The Fort Smith MSA also enjoyed a decline in unemployment, going from 4.6 percent in July to 4.3 percent in August.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in August, down from 4.7 percent in July.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the lowest it's been since the statistics were started in 1978.

Nationally, the jobless rate remained steady at 4.5 percent.