Fort Smith metro jobless rate up to 8%

The Fort Smith metro area jobless rate ticked up to an estimated 8% in September, rising from 7.9% during August, and above the 7.6% during September 2010.

Seven of the eight eight metro areas in or connected to Arkansas saw a jobless rate increases during September compared to September 2010, with Hot Springs posting a 7.7% jobless rate during September compared to 7.8% during September 2010.

The rates in Wednesday’s (Nov. 2) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics are preliminary and subject to change.

During September, the lowest metro jobless rate was 6.3% in Northwest Arkansas and the highest rate was 10.5% in Memphis-West Memphis. The number of unemployed in Northwest Arkansas metro area during September was 14,338, above the 13,980 during September 2010.

Arkansas’ jobless rate in September was 8.3%, unchanged from August and up from 7.8% in September 2010. The Oklahoma jobless rate was 5.9% in September, down from 6.9% in September 2010. The U.S. rate during September was 9.1%, unchanged from August and down from 9.6% in September 2010.

FORT SMITH METRO NUMBERS
The number of unemployed in the Fort Smith metro area was an estimated 10,607 in September, up from a revised 10,546 in August, and up compared the 10,186 unemployed in September 2010. The number of employed in the metro area during September was 121,626, below the 122,367 employed in the area during August, and down 1.9% compared to September 2010.

The size of the metro workforce in September was 132,233, down from 132,913 in August and below the 134,174 in September 2010. The workforce is down from the June 2007 high of 140,542.

Fort Smith’s manufacturing sector employed an estimated 20,700 in September, down from a revised 20,900 in August, and lower than the 21,400 in September 2010. Employment in the sector is down 32.57% from more than a decade ago when January 2001 manufacturing employment in the metro area stood at 30,700.

Jobs in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector — the region’s largest job sector —  totaled 23,800 in September, down from a revised 24,000 in August and down from the 24,100 the sector employed in September 2010. Employment in the sector is off from the high of 25,700 posted in December 2007.

Employment in the region’s tourism industry continues to show year-over-year gains, but is on a two-month decline. September employment was an estimated 9,200. The sector employed 9,500 in July and 9,400 during August. The sector employed 8,900 during September 2010. The sector reached an employment high of 9,800 in August 2008.

In Education & Health Services, employment was 16,200 during September, down from 16,300 in August and below the 16,300 during September 2010. This employment sector has proven somewhat resilient during the recession and the weak recovery. Peak employment in the sector of 16,400 was reached in May.

NATIONAL NUMBERS
Unemployment rates were lower in September than a year earlier in 249 of the 372 metropolitan areas, higher in 102 areas (Compared to higher in 84 areas in August and 94 areas in July), and unchanged in 21 areas, noted the BLS report. Also, seven areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15%, while 17 areas registered rates of less than 5%.

ARKANSAS METRO AREAS
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers
Sept. 2011: 6.3%
Aug. 2011: 6.6%
Sept. 2010: 6.1%

Fort Smith
Sept. 2011: 8%
Aug. 2011: 7.9%
Sept. 2010: 7.6%

Hot Springs
Sept. 2011: 7.7%
Aug. 2011: 7.8%
Sept. 2010: 7.8%

Jonesboro
Sept. 2011: 7.3%
Aug. 2011: 7.6%
Sept. 2010: 7.1%

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway
Sept. 2011: 7.1%
Aug. 2011: 7.3%
Sept. 2010: 6.7%

Memphis-West Memphis
Sept. 2011: 10.5%
Aug. 2011: 10.2%
Sept. 2010: 9.1%

Pine Bluff
Sept. 2011: 10.1%
Aug. 2011: 10.3%
Sept. 2010: 9.3%

Texarkana
Sept. 2011: 7.8%
Aug. 2011: 8%
Sept. 2010: 7.2%

FORT SMITH METRO AREA HISTORY
Past annual average unemployment rates
2010: 8.2%
2009: 7.9%
2008: 4.8%
2007: 5.3%
2006: 4.9%
2005: 4.5%
2004: 5.2%
2003: 5.5%
2002: 5%
2001: 4.2%
2000: 3.7%