Arkansas’ unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point from August to 6.2 percent in September, according to data released by the state Department of Workforce Services on Tuesday.
The drop erases a one-tenth of a percentage point jump the jobless rate saw from July to August.
The decline came as 3,600 were added to the state’s labor force, the result of 4,500 jobs and 900 fewer unemployed.
“The number of employed Arkansans rose 4,500 in September, the first employment gain since March 2014,” Becky Heflin, the department’s communications director, said in a news release. “This increase, combined with the drop in unemployment, caused the unemployment rate to decrease to 6.2 percent this month.”
More: View the news release here (PDF).
The state’s jobless rate is still slightly higher than the national average, which fell to 5.9 percent in September.
Labor Force, Employed Workers Break Skids
September marked the first month of growth in the state’s labor force since February.
Between February and August, the state’s labor force dropped by 34,300 workers. It dropped below 1.3 million workers in July for the first time in more than five years. Since October 2012, the labor force has seen only seven months of positive growth, including six consecutive months of growth between September 2013 and February.
Compared to a year ago, the state’s current labor force is down by 25,200 workers.
Like the labor force, the state’s employment numbers have been on a decline since early this year.
Before September, the pool of employed workers in Arkansas had dropped 24,400 workers since March. Last month, the number increased by 4,500.
From a year ago, the number of employed workers is down 4,700.
Unemployed Workers Returns to Previous Low
Prior to August, the number of unemployed Arkansans had been on an 11-month decline.
In August, the number jumped by 900 workers, breaking the nearly year-long fall. Last month, the increase was erased as the number returned to its previous five-year low at 81,000.
From January, the number of unemployed workers is down by 16,000. From a year ago, it’s down 20,500.
Prior to August, the state’s unemployment rate had also been the decline — for 10 consecutive months. The rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.3 percent in August, and fell by the same rate in September.
Since the beginning of the year, the jobless rate is down 1.1 percentage points and is down 1.5 percentage points since September 2013.
Nonfarm Jobs Up
Nonfarm payroll jobs were up 15,200 from August with five major industry sectors adding employment and five sectors seeing declines. From a year ago, nonfarm jobs were up 15,300 with eight sectors up and two sectors down.
Below are sector-by-sector highlights:
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