Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rises

Nevada County's unemployment rate rose slightly from November to December.

According to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division, the jobless figures went from 5.9 percent in November to 6.0 percent in December.

Without exception, all other surrounding counties also experienced increases in the number of people needing jobs.

In Clark County, the figures rose from 2.6 percent to 3.2 percent for the recording period.

Columbia County's unemployment numbers rose almost a full percentage point, climbing from 5.2 percent to 6.1 percent.

The figures in Hempstead County climbed more than a percent, rising fro 5.5 percent to 6.6 percent.

Lafayette County saw its percentage change from November's 5.0 percent to 5.8 percent in December.

Ouachita County and Pike County each experienced increases of a full percent during the month. In Ouachita County the figure changed from 8.4 to 9.4 percent, while the Pike County numbers went from 4.0 to 5.0 percent.

Checking the rankings based on unemployment, Clark County is fifth with its 3.2 percent figure.

Next comes Pike County in 28th, followed by Lafayette County in 35th position. Nevada County ranks 39th, while Columbia County is 42nd.

Hempstead County enters the polls in 47th place, with Ouachita County 69th of Arkansas' 75 counties.

Scott County was the lone county with a jobless rate of less than 3 percent. It's unemployment numbers are 2.6 percent.

A total of 10 counties had jobless figures between 3.0 and 3.9 percent, while there were 16 counties in the .0 to 4.9 percent division.

Another 11 counties figured in the 5.0 to 5.9 percent bracket, with 14 being housed within the confines of the 6.0 to 6.9 percent range.

Eight counties make up the 7.0 to 7.9 percent region, while there are five counties with jobless rates of 8.0 to 8.9 percent.

Six more counties have unemployment figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent.

For the first time in several months, several counties experienced double-digit unemployment. Four counties found themselves with jobless figures above 10 percent.

Three, Woodruff, Mississippi and Jackson, were from 10.0 to 10.9, with one, Randolph, at 11 percent even.

Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 5.0 percent in December, a climb of 0.3 percent from November's 4.7 percent.

Nationally, the jobless rate also rose, but only 0.1 percent to 4.7 percent.

In Arkansas, the jobless figures were higher in 70 counties for December than November, with the rates remaining unchanged in one and dropping in four.

The five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) also saw increases in the number of people out of work for the period.

The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA rose from 2.5 percent to 3.1 percent for the month, but still remained the lowest of the group.

The Pine Bluff MSA climbed from 6.1 to 7.0 percent for the recording period, and remains the MSA with the highest unemployment figures.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock and Jonesboro MSAs had identical December figures of 3.7 percent. The Little Rock numbers rose from 3.3 percent, while the Jonesboro figures climbed from 3.6 percent.

Checking the Fort Smith MSA, the increase was slight, climbing from 4.9 to 5.1 percent.