Chamber study finds commuters from 48 counties find work at LR Port, airport

A new study conducted for the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce found that employees from 48 Arkansas counties commute to the Port of Little Rock or Clinton National Airport for employment opportunities.

The workforce zip code study of 31 companies located in those two areas of central Arkansas represented over 7,500 employees. Some of the companies with operations in the river port and airport include Dassault Falcon, Lexicon, and Welspun Pipes.

The average wage of the companies that participated was $26.74/hour ($55,619 annually), which is above median household income for Pulaski County. The top ten commuter counties include Pulaski, Saline, Lonoke, Faulkner, Jefferson, White, Garland, Grant, Hot Springs, Conway, and Arkansas.

“At the Little Rock Regional Chamber, we strive to provide regional employers with the most up-to-date information to remain competitive in the local, national, and international economies,” said Jack Thomas, Vice President of Economic Development at the Little Rock Regional Chamber. “The results of this study reinforce the importance of our work to develop world-class regional transportation systems and regional education ecosystems that align with available employment opportunities.”

The chamber said it will use the study to focus its efforts on business retention and expansion, workforce development, and regional infrastructure development. The study will also serve as a recruitment tool for the chamber to market to prospective companies evaluating the area for investment.

“In an environment with unemployment at an all-time low, prospective companies are asking where they will find a qualified workforce,” said Thomas. “With this study, we can prove people are willing to travel significant distances for a good job and Little Rock is the destination of choice for Arkansans seeking fulfilling job opportunities.”