LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — According to reports from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services, Workforce Policy, and Innovation, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stayed the same at 3.3% for the third month in a row.
Arkansas’s civilian labor force rose by 4,062 in August, with 4,116 more Arkansans employed compared to July. Both the civilian labor force and the number of employed remain at record high levels as Arkansas’s labor force participation rate rose to 58.0%.
Compared to August 2023, the number of employed Arkansans has increased 23,681. The labor force participation rate is up four-tenths of a percentage point, while unemployment remains slightly lower than last August.
Meanwhile, nonfarm payroll jobs in the state increased by 5,600. The largest gains were related to the start of the 2024-2025 school year:
- Government up 3,800
- Private Education and Health Services added 3,100 jobs
- Manufacturing rose by 1,100, mostly in durable goods
- Jobs in Leisure and Hospitality declined by 2,300, with reported losses across all subsectors
Compared to August 2023, nonfarm payroll jobs are up 26,000. Nine out of eleven major industry sectors reported annual growth.
The largest expansions were posted in Private Education and Health Services (+10,000), Professional and Business Services (+6,100), Construction (+3,800), and Financial Activities (+2,200).
The jobless rate in the U.S. declined from 4.3% in July to 4.2% in August.
