The state Division of Workforce Services said Friday that Arkansas' seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point, from 3.5% in September to 3.6% in October.
The report said Arkansas’ civilian labor force declined by 489 people. During the same period, the U.S. jobless rate increased two-tenths of a percentage point, from 3.5% to 3.7%.
"The number of employed Arkansans declined for the third month in a row, as the unemployment rate grew to 3.6 percent in October," Susan Price, the Bureau of Labor Statistics programs manager at DWS, said in a news release. "While employment has decreased since July, there are still 17,802 more employed Arkansans compared to October 2021."
Compared to October 2021, Arkansas’ nonfarm payroll jobs are up by 29,500. Year over year, employment in some Arkansas sectors looked like this:
- Manufacturing reported the biggest gain, up by 6,300 jobs. Most of the hiring was in nondurable goods manufacturing (4,000).
- Jobs in trade, transportation and utilities rose by 6,000. Expansions in wholesale trade (4,300) and transportation-warehousing-utilities (2,400) offset losses in retail trade (700).
- Educational and health services added 4,500 jobs, with most of the gains in health care and social assistance (3,200).
- Jobs in leisure and hospitality increased by 4,000, with most of the hiring in food services (3,000).
- Professional and business services added 3,400 jobs.
- Information added 1,200 jobs. Government added 1,100.
- Construction jobs declined by 1,200.
