Arkansas’ jobless rate holds steady; manufacturing jobs gain

Employment in Arkansas’ troubled manufacturing sector increased in April to an estimated 164,600 jobs — the third consecutive month of sector gains.

Overall, Arkansas’ jobless rate held steady in April at 7.8%, a reflection of a smaller labor force that saw a decrease in the number of employed and unemployed. The state’s jobless rate in April 2009 was 7.1%.

The report released Friday (May 21) from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the state with an estimated 16,345 unemployed, up 9% over April 2009, and up 62.2% over April 2008. Also, the number of employed in April was 1.26 million, down 0.8% compared to April 2009, and down 0.2% from the previous month.

The U.S. jobless rate was 9.9% in April, up from 9.7% in March. The Oklahoma unemployment rate in April was 6.6%, unchanged from March.

Arkansas’ manufacturing employment rose from 161,600 in March to an estimated 164,600, a gain of 1.8%. Also, the number of manufacturing jobs is up 4.3% between January and April 2010. The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services credited much of the gain to worker recalls in the durable goods manufacturing sector — likely to include the Whirlpool plant in Fort Smith.

Whirlpool spokeswoman Jill Saletta confirmed in late March that the company’s refrigerator production plant in Fort Smith has 1,930 hourly employees, which could put total employment at the plant near 2,200. Less than a year ago the plant employed between 1,000-1,300. Also, some of those jobs were temporary in that Whirlpool said a shift cut planned for August 2010 could cut 400 jobs.

However, April job figures in the sector are down 1.3% compared to April 2009. The manufacturing sector in Arkansas has lost 66,200 jobs in the past 10 years (April 2001-April 2010), or 28.6% of sector employment.

April employment data for the Fort Smith metro area is set for a June 2 release.

YEAR-OVER-YEAR
• Arkansas’ civilian labor force stood at an estimated 1.366 million in April, down 0.2% compared to March 2010 and down 0.11% compared to April 2009.

• Construction jobs fell to 51,700 in April after reaching 52,200 in March. Jobs in the sector fell below 50,000 in February for the first time since December 1998. Jobs in the sector were up 0.38% compared to April 2009.

• The number of government jobs fell back in April to an estimated 218,100 employed in the sector, compared to 219,400 in March 2010. April employment in the sector is up 0.55% over April 2009.

• Trade, transportation and utilities, the largest sector in the Arkansas economy, continues an overall decline that began in January 2008. Jobs in this sector totaled 225,700 in April, down 4.9% from April 2009. The sector has lost 24,500 jobs since January 2008.

• Arkansas’ tourism and hospitality sector continues to struggle, but did see job gains in April. The sector employed an estimated 99,700 in April, up from the 99,200 in March but down 0.4% compared to April 2009. The sector reached an all-time employment high of 101,800 in August 2008, but has seen its numbers steadily fall since.