Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rises Slightly In County

Unemployment in Nevada County rose from 7.5 percent to 8.3 percent from February to March, according to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division.

The rise in joblessness wasn't unique to Nevada County, as most surrounding counties also saw their jobless rates increase.

Because of a major plant closing in Clark County, its unemployment numbers soared from 3.4 percent in February to a whopping 8.1 percent in March. However, the ESD said the increase had nothing to do with the March 1 tornadoes.

The figures from Columbia County jumped from 7.3 percent to 8.1 percent, while the numbers in neighboring Hempstead County dropped slightly, from 7.5 to 7.2 percent.

Lafayette County's unemployment figures remained unchanged, staying at 7.1 percent for the recording period. The same occurred in Ouachita County, but the numbers were constant at 9.9 percent.

Pike County saw a minute drop in its figures, from 6.4 to 6.3 percent.

Checking the rankings of the counties, Pike is rated the highest in the area at 36th, while Lafayette comes in at 45th.

Hempstead County follows in 46th place, with Clark and Columbia tied for the 51st position. Nevada County tips the scales at 53rd, while Ouachita County brings up the rear in the 67th spot, though it's not last in the state.

Benton County has the lowest jobless rate in the state at 3.0 percent.

In all, seven counties had jobless figures ranging from 3.0 to 3.9 percent.

Another eight fell in the 4.0 to 4.9 bracket, while a total of 15 counties had unemployment numbers in the 5.0 to 5.9 percent division.

The 6.0 to 6.9 percent bracket contains 14 counties, with six counties comprise the 7.0 to 7.9 percent region.

Nine counties are contained within the confines of the 8.0 to 8.9 percent range, while there are eight counties with jobless figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent.

Two counties are in the 10.0 to 10.9 percent division -- Mississippi County (10.2 percent) and Phillips County (10.4 percent).

Two more counties fill the 11.0 to 11.9 percent slot -- Prairie County (11.3 percent) and St. Francis County (11.5 percent).

There are also two counties within the confines of the 12.0 to 12.9 percent category -- Jackson County (12.0 percent) and Randolph County (12.4 percent)

Bradley is the lone county in the 13.0 to 13.9 percent area, with figures of 13.7 percent.

The county with the highest unemployment rate in the state is Lee County at 14.3 percent.

According to ESD figures, Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.4 percent for March, remaining unchanged for the fourth consecutive month.

This is two-tenths of a point below the U.S. jobless rate of 5.2 percent.

Looking at the state's five Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA continues to have the lowest unemployment in the state with 3.3 percent.

On the other side of the coin, the Pine Bluff MSA is again the highest at 7.8 percent.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA enters the tabulations in second place with a 3.9 percent rate, while the Jonesboro MSA is next at 4.6 percent. The Fort Smith MSA has a jobless rate of 5.2 percent.