Arkansas’ April jobless rate at 3.4%, above 2.8% in April 2023

There were more than 6,500 net new jobs year-over-year in Arkansas in April, but the number of unemployed increased by more than 20%. As a result, the state’s jobless rate in April was 3.4%, better than 3.5% in March but above 2.8% in April 2023.

The number of employed in Arkansas during April was an estimated 1,340,867, up 6,594 jobs, or 0.5%, compared with April 2023, and above the 1,337,310 in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report posted Friday (May 17). The April numbers are preliminary and subject to revision.

Arkansas’ labor force, the number of people eligible to work, in April was 1,388,357, up 1.1% from 1,373,339 in April 2023 and above the 1,385,626 in March. The state’s labor force participation rate in April was 57.5%, unchanged from April 2023.

Arkansans without jobs in April totaled 47,490, down from 49,316 in March but up 21.6% from 39,066 in April 2023.

The biggest year-over-year sector gains were in Education and Health Services (7,900 more jobs) and Construction (5,700 more jobs). April saw record employment in the Trade, Transportation and Utilities, Education and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality, Financial Services, and Construction sectors.

NATIONAL NUMBERS
In April, unemployment rates were lower in 5 states, higher in 2 states, and stable in 43 states. Thirty states had rate increases from a year earlier, 1 state had a decrease, and 19 states and the District had little change.

North Dakota and South Dakota had the lowest jobless rates in April at 2% each. The next lowest rate was in Vermont at 2.1%. The rate in Mississippi, at 2.8%, set a new series low. (All state series begin in 1976.) California had the highest unemployment rate at 5.3%, followed by the District of Columbia at 5.2%, and Nevada, at 5.1%. In total, 24 states had rates lower than the U.S. rate of 3.9%, 5 states had higher rates, and 21 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 6 states and was essentially unchanged in 44 states in April 2024. The largest job gains occurred in Florida (+45,300), Texas (+42,600), and Missouri (+16,700). The largest percentage increases were in Missouri (+0.6%), Florida (+0.5%), and Alabama (+0.4%).

JOB SECTOR NUMBERS
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
April 2024: 270,600
March 2024: 268,500
April 2023: 267,200
April marked an employment record for the sector.

Government
April 2024: 212,600
March 2024: 212,500
April 2023: 209,900
Sector employment hit a peak of 224,100 in May 2010.

Education and Health Services
April 2024: 213,900
March 2024: 212,800
April 2023: 206,000
April marked an employment record for the sector.

Manufacturing
April 2024: 160,900
March 2024: 160,700
April 2023: 162,900
Manufacturing, once the state’s largest jobs sector, posted record employment of 247,600 in February 1995.

Professional and Business Services
April 2024: 158,000
March 2024: 157,900
April 2023: 157,700
May 2023 marked an employment record for the sector with 158,100 jobs.

Leisure and Hospitality
April 2024: 130,600
March 2024: 130,200
April 2023: 126,700
April marked an employment record for the sector.

Financial Activities
April 2024: 71,500
March 2024: 71,200
April 2023: 70,100
April marked an employment record for the sector.

Construction
April 2024: 68,200
March 2024: 68,000
April 2023: 62,500
April marked a new employment record for the sector.