Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Plummets

By JOHN MILLER

After a horrendous July, the Clark County unemployment rate fell to a more normal amount.

The July figures showed 7.4 percent of the county's work force being unemployed, while the August numbers, according to the Arkansas Employment Security Division, showed the rate at 3.7 percent. A 50 percent drop in a month.

All counties surrounding Clark County also experienced a decline in the unemployment figures.

Dallas County went from July's 8.4 percent to 6.7 percent in August, while Hot Spring County saw its rate fall from 6.2 to 5.1 percent for the recording period.

Montgomery County had a very slight drop, from 2.9 to 2.4 percent, and boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the state.

Nevada County's numbers also slid, from 7.7 to 6.9 percent, with Ouachita County experiencing more than a full percent decline, from 10.5 to 9.4 percent.

In Pike County, the jobless rate fell from 5.6 percent to 4.7 percent.

Looking at where these counties rank according to their unemployment numbers, Montgomery County is first.

Clark County enters the foray in seventh place, while Pike County is rated 20th.

Hot Spring County comes into the tally in 28th spot, while Dallas County is ranked 45th.

Nevada County is rated 47th and Ouachita County enters the tilt in 68th position.

Only two counties reported jobless figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, Montgomery (2.4) and Scott (2.6).

Nine counties show figures from 3.0 to 3.9 percent, with 15 counties have jobless rates from 4.0 to 4.9 percent.

The 5.0 to 5.9 percent bracket houses 12 counties, while there are 10 counties in the 6.0 to 6.9 percent category.

There are also 10 counties with unemployment figures from 7.0 to 7.9 percent. Seven counties tally 8.0 to 8.9 percent, while three counties show 9.0 to 9.9 percent of their work force needing gainful employment.

Four counties report 10.0 to 10.9 percent unemployment, while one county (Lee, 11.9 percent) is in the 11.0 to 11.9 percent region. One county (Searcy, 12.6), is in the 12.0 to 12.9 percent bracket as well.

According to the ESD, Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent for August, a drop of one-tenth of a point from July. The national jobless figures rose a tenth of a point to 4.9 percent.

The unemployment rates dropped more than two percentage points in four counties, Clark, Columbia, Conway and Independence. The declines, the ESD states, is because of a return of workers to manufacturing plants that had been shut down for vacation during July.

The jobless figures also dropped from July to August in all five of the state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs).

Once again, the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA had the lowest jobless rate at 3.3 percent, while the Pine Bluff MSA was at the other end of the spectrum at 8.4 percent unemployment.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA reported a 4.2 percent figure, while the Jonesboro MSA came in at 4.4 percent. The Fort Smith MSA was 5.1 percent for the month.