Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Unemployment Rises

Unemployment in Nevada County rose significantly from March to April.

In March, the figures were 6.6 percent. However, this number climbed to 7.7 percent for April as Prescott Manufacturing's closure was recorded into the formula used by the Arkansas Employment Security Division to compile jobless numbers.

All other counties surrounding Nevada, had their jobless figures drop for April.

Clark County recorded the lowest rate in the state with 2.3 percent, a decline of 0.6 percent at 2.9 percent in March.

In Columbia County, the numbers were closer as the March rate was 5.6 percent as compared to April's 5.4 percent.

Hempstead County also had a noticeable decline in unemployment as its figures went from 7.5 to 7.0 percent.

Lafayette County's unemployment rate went from March's 7.2 percent to 6.4 percent in April.

Pike County's figures dropped almost two full percentage points from March to April as the figure went from 6.4 percent to 4.5 percent.

Even Ouachita County's jobless numbers were on the downward spiral, going from 10.2 percent to 9.6 percent.

Checking the rankings according to unemployment, Clark County stands alone in first place with its 2.3 percent rating.

Pike County comes in at 29th with its 4.5 percent figures. This is followed by Columbia County in 41st (5.4 percent), with Lafayette County 55th (6.4 percent) and Hempstead County in 57th (7.0 percent).

Nevada County falls into the bracket at 61st (7.7 percent), while Dallas County is 63rd (8.0 percent).

Ouachita County is 71st with its 9.6 percent jobless rate.

Randolph County once again brings up the rear in 75th with unemployment numbers of 13.7 percent.

There are six counties with jobless rates from 2.0 to 2.9 percent. Another 12 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 jobs, with eight others 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 figures from 9.0 to 9.9 percent. Two are between 10.0 and 10.9, while one, Lee County, is between 12.0 and 12.9 at 12.1.

Randolph County is the only county with 13.7 percent of its citizenry out of jobs.

The state's seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was 4.6 percent in April, 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 unemployment 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) fell.

The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers MSA again reported the lest 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 figure, while Fort Smith followed at 4.8 percent. The Pine Bluff MSA, as usual, brought up the rear with 6.2 percent unemployment.