Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Jobless Rate Climbs Above 9%

By JOHN MILLER

Nevada County's unemployment rate broke the 9 percent barrier in August as it reached 9.2 percent.

This was an increase in the jobless figure of 0.5 percent.

Most counties surrounding Nevada also saw their unemployment numbers rise from July to August, according to information from the Arkansas Employment Security Division.

Clark County, though, was one of the exceptions as its jobless numbers dropped from 2.8 to 2.7 percent. Columbia County's rate climbed slightly from 7.0 to 7.1 percent, while Hempstead County had a moderate decline from 9.2 to 8.9 percent.

Lafayette County had a significant increase as its numbers jumped nearly a full percentage point from 7.9 to 8.7 percent from July to August.

Ouachita County remained in the double-digit category again, rising from 10.4 percent to 10.9 percent. Pike County, on the other hand, saw the number of people working rise as its figure fell from 6.3 to 5.8 percent.

Though Clark County's rate is 2.7 percent, this is not the lowest unemployment figure reported in the state. Benton County's numbers reflect a 2.4 percent jobless rate, leaving Clark County in second place.

Checking other counties' standings, Pike County is next rated 40th, while Columbia County follows in 51st place.

Nevada County is ranked 54th, while Lafayette County comes at 60th. Hempstead County is in 64th place, while Nevada County follows in the 65th spot of 75 counties. Ouachita County is now ranked 71st, while St. Francis County has the highest unemployment in the state at 12.8 percent.

Four counties in Arkansas have unemployment figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent (Benton, Clark, Washington and Saline).

Another eight report numbers from 3.0 to 3.9 percent, while 19 counties fall in the 4.0 to 4.9 division.

The 5.0 to 5.9 percent bracket counts 11 counties, with eight counties having jobless rates from 6.0 to 6.9 percent.

Seven counties fall in the 7.0 to 7.9 percent range, while there are seven in the 8.0 to 8.9 percent region.

Four counties carry unemployment figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent, with three reporting numbers in the 10.0 to 10.9 percent category. There are no counties in the state with rates from 11.0 to 11.9 percent, but the remaining four, Randolph (12.0), Jackson (12.2), Lee (12.3) and St. Francis (12.8), are in the 12.0 to 12.9 percent area.

Unemployment rates in Arkansas' four metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) range from 2.6 percent to 7.9 percent, with the Fayetteville- Springdale-Rogers MSA reporting the lowest number, while the Pine Bluff MSA continues to have the highest jobless figures.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA was 3.8 percent, and the Fort Smith MSA was 4.6 percent for August.

For the first time in more than a year, the national unemployment figures are lower than Arkansas' rates.

According to ESD figures, the actual unemployment rate for the U.S. is 5.1 percent, which is also its seasonally adjusted rate.

The rate in Arkansas, however, is 5.2 percent, both actual and seasonally adjusted.