Arkansas’ unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent in July, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Workforce Services.
The report showed Arkansas’ civilian labor force declined by 857, the result of 1,309 fewer unemployed and 452 more employed.
During the same period, the U.S. jobless rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point, from 4.0 percent in June to 3.9 percent in July.
“Arkansas’ unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent in July, pushed down by the decrease in the number of unemployed. The drop in the unemployment rate this month mirrors the trend seen at the national level,” BLS Program Operations Manager Susan Price said in a news release.
Year over year, the report said, six major industry sectors posted growth and four sectors had minor losses.
The largest increase was in professional and business services, up by 8,300 jobs. All the gains were in administrative and support services, which includes temporary help services, office administration and telephone call centers.
Manufacturing added 3,800 jobs, mostly in nondurable goods.
Jobs in construction rose by 2,000, in part because of highway and road construction projects underway across the state.
Jobs in educational and health services rose by 1,200, with growth in education services offsetting minor losses in health care and social assistance.
Leisure and hospitality gained 900 jobs, while financial services gained 300 jobs.
The information sector, which includes newspaper publishing, television broadcasting and satellite telecommunications lost 900 jobs.
Jobs in mining and logging declined by 500.
Trade, transportation and utilities lost 300 jobs, and government lost 100 jobs.
Jobs in other services were unchanged from July 2017.
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