Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Jobless Rate Rises

BY JOHN MILLER

June was a rough month for unemployment in Clark County.

The jobless rate, according to the Arkansas Employment Security Division (ESD), rose from 2.6 percent in May to 3.6 percent in June.

This, though, could be attributed to school letting out and students looking for jobs, thereby causing an influx of unemployed people into the job market.

However, this was a statewide occurrence as the jobless figure climbed in 64 of the state's 75 counties. It dropped in eight counties, while staying the same in three.

In those counties surrounding Clark, the figures rose, with the exception of Montgomery County.

Dallas County's unemployment rate skyrocketed more than 2 percent, rising from 7.3 percent in May to 9.3 percent in June.

The climb was smaller in Hot Spring County, as the figures changed from 4.1 percent to 4.6 percent for the recording period.

One county had to be different in the mix. Montgomery County's jobless figures were some of the few to drop, falling from 3.8 percent to 3.4 percent from May to June.

In Nevada County, the change was from 4.5 percent to 5.3 percent.

The rise in Ouachita County was slight, going up from 7.8 percent to 7.9 percent, with Pike County's numbers jumping almost 1.5 percent, as the figure went from 4.0 percent to 5.4 percent.

These changes also affected where the counties were ranked, based on their jobless figures.

Montgomery County entered the tally in eighth, with Clark County nearby in 12th place.

Hot Spring County managed a 28th place finish, with Nevada County coming in at 38th.

Pike County was next in the 39th spot, while Ouachita County was ranked 63rd.

Dallas County found itself near the bottom of the list in 70th place.

Benton County reported the lowest unemployment figures in the state at 2.4 percent, while Mississippi County anchored the bottom in 75th place with an 11.5 percent figure.

Overall, there were four counties reporting double-digit unemployment.

Five counties in Arkansas managed to hang onto jobless figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, while there were 13 housed in the 3.0 to 3.9 percent category.

The 4.0 to 4.9 percent division contained 18 counties, with 10 counties found in the 5.0 to 5.9 percent bracket.

Nine counties made their way into the 6.0 to 6.9 percent region, while the 7.0 to 7.9 percent tally had eight counties.

There were three counties in the 8.0 to 8.9 percent slot, with five counties being found in the 9.0 to 9.9 percent position.

Two counties composed the 10.0 to 10.9 percent spot, with two also in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent category.

All five of the state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) saw their unemployment figures rise.

The Fayetteville-Rogers-Springdale MSA rose slightly from 2.3 to 2.6 percent for the period in question.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA was next, with a 3.3 percent figure, up from 2.8 percent a month earlier.

Next up was the Jonesboro MSA, rising from 3.4 percent to 3.7 percent from May to June.

The Fort Smith MSA had the smallest increase, going from 3.9 percent to 4.0 percent.

But, the Pine Bluff MSA, along with having the highest unemployment rate, also had the biggest jump. The figures rose from 6.6 percent to 7.7 percent in the area.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted jobless figures rose to 4.8 percent, climbing from 4.4 percent in May.

Nationally, the figures also increased, rising from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent during the month.