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Arkansas unemployment drops below pre-pandemic levels

Unemployment rates in Arkansas are a little bit below pre-pandemic levels, showing a sign that things may be returning to normalcy.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Governor Asa Hutchinson described the state's latest unemployment data as "a good sign" Monday following the latest report of February 2022.

Across the state, unemployment has dropped to a new low of 3.1%, 0.5% lower than pre pandemic levels in February 2020. Overall more people are heading to work, but some industries are still struggling.

The governor added that "our economy is growing, and it makes a difference in people's lives." 

"Every employer out there is wanting more workers, they have a need to improve their workforce," Hutchinson said.

And Secretary of Commerce Mike Preston agreed, saying officials are noticing that people are getting back to work faster than anticipated.

Preston also noted that he believes there's still room for growth. 

"We actually saw growth in our labor pool," he said. "That means, you know, even though we are very low unemployment, there's still a lot of open jobs out there."

According to the Arkansas Division of Work Services Report, nearly every industry in the state has grown it's labor force over the last year-- even in some unexpected fields.

"We see people returning to the medical field, we see them returning as teachers and in education," Hutchinson said.

While growth in these key fields is a hopeful sign, those are still below pre-pandemic levels. Areas like food services are also seeing a slow road back to normalcy.

"I don't know if we'll ever get to a point where we were pre pandemic, when it comes to, you know, the food service or hospitality," Preston explained.

But overall, Hutchinson shared that Arkansas still sits in the top 10 states for hiring in the country, an upward trend state leaders hope continues.

"We've got work to do. But we are trending in the right direction. That's a good sign for Arkansas," the governor said.

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