States Construction Unemployment Shows Slight Increase in March
by May 25, 2015 12:00 am 65 views
Arkansas’ construction unemployment rate in March jumped to 12.5 percent, a slight 0.3 percent increase from March 2014 and 1.3 percent higher than the jobless rate in February 2015.
The statistics, compiled by Associated Builders and Contractors, show a somewhat weakening Natural State construction economy, especially, as ABC economist Bernie Markstein noted in his analysis of the data, that an increase in employment is usually expected each March.
Nationally, the ABC noted that the construction unemployment rate fell in 41 states from March 2014 to March 2015.
The lowest rates were seen in Nebraska (3.5 percent), North Dakota (3.8 percent), Wyoming (4.2 percent), Hawaii (4.7 percent) and Utah (5.2 percent).
The highest rates were reported in Rhode Island (15.5 percent), Connecticut (14.6 percent), West Virginia (14.3 percent), New Jersey (13.7 percent) and Georgia (13 percent). Arkansas was next at 12.5 percent.
The national rate in March was 9.5 percent.
Arkansas’ unemployment rate across all industries in the month was 5.7 percent.