Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

County Unemployment Figures Are Released; Layoffs Now Considered

Figures from the Employment Security Division in Little Rock show jobless figures in Nevada County down.

However, these numbers are misleading because the data was gathered before the closing of Prescott Manufacturing.

The unemployment figures, though, show a decline from 7.1 percent in February to 6.6 percent in March.

Surrounding counties saw a roller-coaster effect with their unemployment numbers.

Clark County remained constant at 2.9 percent from February to March, while Columbia County recorded a slight decline from 5.7 to 5.6 percent.

Hempstead County's rate dropped a little, from 7.7 to 7.5 percent, with Lafayette County's numbers staying at 7.1 percent for the two months.

Ouachita County's jobless rate crossed the double-digit barrier, climbing from 9.5 percent to 10.3 percent. Pike County also had a significant rise, from 5.5 to 6.4 percent.

Taking a look at where counties are ranked, according to their unemployment numbers, Clark County is third with its 2.9 percent.

Columbia County falls in at 31st, with 5.6 percent, while Pike County is 42nd (6.4 percent).

Nevada County rates 45th (6.6), while Lafayette County is 55th (7.1), and Hempstead County falls in at number 60 (7.5). Ouachita County (10.3) is ranked 70th of 75 counties.

Saline and Washington counties show the lowest jobless rate in Arkansas, while Randolph County has the highest unemployment figures at 14.6 percent.

Four counties have figures from 2.0 to 2.9 percent. Another six fall in the 3.0 to 3.9 range, while the 4.0 to 4.9 bracket holds 16 counties.

Nine counties have between 5.0 and 5.9 percent of their eligible work force out of jobs, with 18 counties falling in the 6.0 to 6.9 division.

Eight counties are in the 7.0 to 7.9 bracket, with three registering figures of 8.0 to 8.9 percent. Four counties show rates from 9.0 to 9.9 percent, with another four in the 10.0 to 10.9 range. Two counties have unemployment figures from 11.0 to 11.9 percent, with one at 14.6 percent.

The state's seasonably adjusted unemployment rate was 4.9 percent in March, unchanged from the month before. National figures show Arkansas' jobless figures to be below the seasonably adjusted rates in America at 5.6 percent.

According to figures from the ESD, 50 counties experienced employment growth between March 1995 and March 1996.

The state's Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) show the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers area with a scant 2.9 percent unemployment rate, while the Pine Bluff MSA stands at 6.9 percent.

The jobless numbers in the Little Rock-North Little Rock MSA were 3.6 percent, with Fort Smith's MSA coming in at 5.7 percent.