Arkansas Jobless Rate Falls To 5.7% In December

Arkansas’ unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percent to 5.7% in December as the number of the employed rose and the universe of unemployed decreased.

In the separate monthly nonfarm payroll jobs report, big gains were seen in the construction, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and education/health sectors.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the state’s December 2014 jobless rate of 5.7% was lower than November when it stood at 5.9% and significantly lower than December 2013 when unemployment held at 7.4%.

The U.S. jobless rate declined two-tenths of a percentage point, from 5.8% in November to 5.6% in December.

The Arkansas civilian labor force was an estimated 1,324,200 in December 2014, down 3,100 from a year ago. The number of employed stood at 1,248,400 and the number of unemployed was 75,800.

One year ago, there were 19,600 fewer Arkansans working (1,228,800) and 22,700 more without jobs (98,500).

“The increase of 9,700 in December marked the fourth consecutive month of employment gains for the state. Compared to December 2013, the number of employed is up 19,600,” said Becky Heflin, communications director for the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services.

In the separately released nonfarm payroll job summary report, Arkansas saw gains in eight of the state’s 11 industry categories. The year-over-year job gains and losses are as follows:

Mining/Logging +400
Construction +5,800
Manufacturing +5,500
Trade/Transportation +100
Information -800
Financial -500
Professional/Business +1,300
Education/Health +3,600
Leisure/Hospitality +6,700
Other +500
Government 0

You can read the full report here.