Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rate Lowest In The State

Clark County has the bragging rights for having the lowest unemployment rate in the state for April.

According to figures released from the Arkansas Security Division, Clark County's jobless rate was 2.3 percent, dropping from 2.9 percent in March.

With the exception of Nevada County, all counties surrounding Clark saw their jobless numbers decline. Because of the closing of the Prescott Manufacturing plant, Nevada County's rate rose from 6.6 percent to 7.7 percent.

Dallas County's rate dropped from 9.3 percent to 8.0 percent, while Hot Spring County went from 4.9 percent in March to 4.3 percent in April.

Montgomery County slipped from 5.3 percent to 3.9 percent for the period studied, while Ouachita County managed to drop out of the double-digit ratings going from 10.2 to 9.6 percent. Pike County's rate slid from 6.4 to 4.5 percent in the month.

Ratings, according to the ESD's unemployment numbers, shows Clark County first with its 2.3 percent figure.

Montgomery County enters the foray in 17th with its 3.9 percent figures, while Hot Springs County is rated 25th at 4.3 percent.

Pike County follows in 29th at 4.5 percent, with Nevada County ranked 61st (7.7 percent) and Dallas County 63rd (8.0 percent).

Ouachita County managed to stay out of the cellar with its 9.6 figure, which placed it 71st out of the state's 75 counties.

Randolph County had the highest unemployment in Arkansas with 13.7 percent of its residents needing jobs.

There are six counties with jobless rates from 2.0 to 2.9 percent. Another dozen come in from the 3.0 to 3.9 division, while there are 16 with numbers between 4.0 and 4.9 percent.

Fourteen counties have between 5.0 and 5.9 percent of their available work force without gainful employment, with eight more in the 6.0 to 6.9 area. Five counties have unemployment figures from 7.0 to 7.9 percent.

Six counties fall in the 8.0 to 8.9 bracket, with three reporting jobless numbers from 9.0 to 9.9 percent. Two are between 10.0 and 10.9 percent, while one, Lee County, is between 12.0 and 12.9 percent, at 12.1 percent.

Randolph County is the lone county in the 13 percent region with a jobless rate of 13.7 percent.

The state's seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6 percent for the month of April. This is down from 4.9 percent in March.

Once again, Arkansas' jobless numbers were well below those of the nation as a whole. According to the seasonably adjusted figures for the United States, the rate was 5.4 percent.

Between March and April, unemployment in the state's four Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) also fell.

The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA again reported the fewest amount of people out of work with a 2.4 percent figure.

The Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA was next with a 3.2 percent figure, while Fort Smith's MSA rating was at 4.8 percent.

Pine Bluff's MSA was again last with a 6.2 percent unemployment rating.