Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Employment Figures Improve In October

There was some good economic news for Nevada County in the October employment report.

According to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division, the unemployment rate for the county dropped from 7.9 to 7.4 percent from September.

The numbers for surrounding counties shows one increase and several with declining rates.

Clark County, though, has the lowest jobless rate in the state at 2.0 percent, down from 2.1 percent in September.

Columbia County's figures remained steady at 6.0 percent, while Hempstead County's jobless rate dropped 0.1 from 8.2 to 8.1 percent in the recorded time.

Lafayette County's numbers slipped from 7.3 to 7.2 percent, with Ouachita County recording a decline from 10.4 percent to 9.9 percent.

Pike County was the only one in the region to have its unemployment figures rise, with the numbers climbing from 5.0 percent to 5.4 percent.

According to the ESD report, Clark County ranks first in the state with its 2.0 percent rate.

In spite of the increase, Pike County is still ranked 38th, ahead of Columbia (in 48th), Nevada (57th), Hempstead (65th) and Ouachita (73rd).

Four counties in Arkansas recorded jobless rates from 2.0 to 2.9 percent, Clark, Washington, Saline and Scott.

Another 16 counties fall in between 3.0 to 3.9 percent, while 13 more have unemployment rates from 4.0 to 4.9 percent.

The 5.0 to 5.9 percent range shows 13 counties as well. Six counties come in between 6.0 and 6.9 percent, with 11 recording figures from 7.0 to 7.9 percent.

Hempstead, Mississippi, Phillips, Prairie and Izard counties make up those from 8.0 to 8.9 percent. Those in the 9.0 to 9.9 bracket include St. Francis, Lee, Bradley and Ouachita.

Jackson County is the lone county in the 11.0 to 11.9 area, with figures of 11.2 percent.

Once again, Randolph County suffers from the highest unemployment in the state at 12.8 percent.

Still, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose 0.2 of a percent between September and October, bringing it to 5.5 percent.

Nationally, the jobless figures remained unchanged at 5.2 percent.

Looking at Arkansas's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), again the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA has the lowest unemployment rate at 3 percent.

And, again, the Pine Bluff MSA is the highest with a 7.7 percent jobless figure.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA was second with 3.5 percent unemployment, while the Fort Smith MSA stands at 4.7 percent.