Families
Unemployment Rate
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Unemployment Rate
2020
Arkansas County4.0%
Ashley County9.3%
Baxter County5.9%
Benton County4.5%
Boone County5.3%
Bowie County, Texas7.4%
Bradley County5.8%
Calhoun County5.2%
Carroll County5.7%
Chicot County10.3%
Clark County5.9%
Clay County6.0%
Cleburne County7.6%
Cleveland County6.1%
Columbia County6.8%
Conway County6.0%
Craighead County5.3%
Crawford County5.4%
Crittenden County8.3%
Cross County6.1%
Dallas County5.3%
Desha County7.0%
Drew County6.9%
Faulkner County5.4%
Franklin County5.6%
Fulton County5.1%
Garland County8.0%
Grant County5.2%
Greene County6.0%
Hempstead County5.2%
Hot Spring County5.8%
Howard County5.0%
Independence County5.8%
Izard County8.4%
Jackson County7.1%
Jefferson County8.0%
Johnson County6.3%
Lafayette County7.6%
Lawrence County6.1%
Lee County7.5%
Lincoln County6.0%
Little River County6.4%
Logan County6.6%
Lonoke County5.5%
Madison County3.9%
Marion County6.4%
Miller County6.9%
Mississippi County9.0%
Monroe County6.7%
Montgomery County6.8%
Nevada County5.9%
Newton County5.0%
Ouachita County6.0%
Perry County5.5%
Phillips County9.1%
Pike County5.9%
Poinsett County5.5%
Polk County6.6%
Pope County5.9%
Prairie County5.3%
Pulaski County7.4%
Randolph County5.9%
Saline County5.1%
Scott County4.5%
Searcy County6.4%
Sebastian County6.0%
Sevier County5.8%
Sharp County7.1%
St. Francis County7.9%
Stone County7.1%
Union County8.3%
Van Buren County7.1%
Washington County4.6%
White County6.2%
Woodruff County5.8%
Yell County5.1%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics




Total Unemployed
2020
Arkansas County378
Ashley County668
Baxter County981
Benton County6,231
Boone County830
Bowie County, Texas2,864
Bradley County256
Calhoun County125
Carroll County720
Chicot County336
Clark County549
Clay County333
Cleburne County697
Cleveland County195
Columbia County620
Conway County504
Craighead County2,972
Crawford County1,438
Crittenden County1,750
Cross County444
Dallas County151
Desha County373
Drew County534
Faulkner County3,361
Franklin County419
Fulton County253
Garland County3,295
Grant County426
Greene County1,158
Hempstead County499
Hot Spring County815
Howard County276
Independence County959
Izard County391
Jackson County419
Jefferson County2,204
Johnson County638
Lafayette County185
Lawrence County417
Lee County210
Lincoln County229
Little River County347
Logan County575
Lonoke County1,858
Madison County287
Marion County403
Miller County1,332
Mississippi County1,559
Monroe County182
Montgomery County203
Nevada County208
Newton County162
Ouachita County592
Perry County232
Phillips County580
Pike County252
Poinsett County545
Polk County531
Pope County1,637
Prairie County193
Pulaski County14,044
Randolph County439
Saline County2,940
Scott County195
Searcy County184
Sebastian County3,355
Sevier County322
Sharp County408
St. Francis County634
Stone County328
Union County1,297
Van Buren County409
Washington County5,795
White County2,117
Woodruff County163
Yell County405

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics



NATIONAL RANKING
13

OUT OF 51
2020

STATE TREND

Increasing


6.1%

2020
1% = 13,543
Individuals

What does this measure?

Unemployed individuals are those without jobs who are able, available, and actively seeking work. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the total labor force (the total number of employed and unemployed individuals 16 or older and not living in prisons, mental hospitals or nursing homes).

Why is this important?

Unemployment rates are a relatively timely indicator of current local economic conditions, particularly recent changes in the employment landscape that reflect the overall health of the economy.

How is Arkansas doing?

In 2020, the unemployment rate was 6.1%, down from a recent high of 7.9% in 2011 and below the national rate of 8.1%. Madison County (3.9%) and Arkansas County (4.0%) had the lowest rates, while Ashley County (9.3%) and Chicot County (10.3%) had the highest rates.

It is possible to analyze unemployment rates across groups using a different dataset, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. This data shows that unemployment was a bit more prevalent among men (5.3%) compared to women (5.0%) and among black or African American residents (9.0%) compared to Hispanic (4.5%), white (4.3%) and Asian (2.3%) residents in 2015-19.

What contributes to racial and ethnic disparities?

While traditional explanations for employment rate disparities focus on education and training gaps, whites tend to be employed at higher rates than Blacks and other people of color at every education level (high school, some college, bachelor's degree, etc.). This has led many researchers to focus on labor market discrimination as a primary cause of higher unemployment among people of color. However, it is also true that education levels are generally lower for people of color, suggesting that the education system's failure to equitably serve people of color is also a contributing factor.

Notes about the data

The unemployment rate represents only those who are actively seeking employment and does not account for under-employment or discouraged workers who have stopped looking for jobs. Also, county-level estimates are based on relatively small samples, and the true number of unemployed residents may vary considerably from the estimate. The rates reported here are averages of monthly rates. 2020 data for this indicator is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2021.

The multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined 5 years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with 3 asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. This data is expected to be released annually in December.




Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics


Unemployment Rate
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Arkansas4.2%4.8%5.3%5.8%5.6%5.3%5.2%5.4%5.4%7.7%7.9%7.9%7.3%7.1%5.9%5.0%4.0%3.7%3.7%3.5%6.1%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics




Total Unemployed
200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020
Arkansas52,67460,10567,95873,99572,83270,21770,53272,90973,541104,649106,576107,38898,00594,00078,19366,51653,46150,49249,38448,10481,952

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics






Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas5.9%****2.3%**9.0%4.5%6.4%****5.4%**9.1%4.3%
Benton County3.6%******2.3%******3.0%******1.9%**0.7%******1.2%******5.6%******2.4%
Craighead County0.0%******0.0%******13.4%**6.5%******0.0%******11.8%******12.0%******4.7%
Crittenden County45.8%******0.0%******11.6%**8.3%******0.0%******5.3%******11.8%******5.5%**
Faulkner County0.0%******0.0%******4.4%****3.2%******0.0%******0.0%******5.5%******3.8%
Jefferson County0.0%******0.0%******11.6%0.0%******0.0%******0.0%******16.3%******5.9%**
Miller County0.0%******0.0%******12.2%**21.4%******0.0%******37.2%******7.5%******4.5%**
Mississippi County77.8%******4.9%******15.4%**9.0%******0.0%******5.6%******11.2%******5.6%**
Phillips County0.0%******0.0%******14.6%**0.0%******0.0%******0.0%******0.0%******5.6%******
Pulaski County2.0%******1.3%******6.3%4.4%****12.9%******2.5%******6.3%****3.8%
Saline County0.0%******0.2%******7.8%****3.6%******0.0%******5.6%******5.7%******3.4%
Sebastian County2.0%******2.7%******8.1%****5.7%****0.0%******5.1%****11.1%******4.3%
St. Francis County0.0%******0.0%******8.8%****0.0%******0.0%******0.0%******5.4%******3.5%****
Union County14.1%******16.8%******6.6%****1.3%******0.0%******28.0%******32.3%******3.6%**

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.




Number Unemployed by Race/Ethnicity
American Indian and Native AlaskanAsianBlack or African AmericanHispanicNative Hawaiian and Other Pacific IslanderSome Other RaceTwo or More RacesWhite
Arkansas502****574**18,0334,506252****2,122**2,51146,487
Benton County67******132******68******415**5******36******187******2,729
Craighead County0******0******1,095**166******0******109******97******1,989
Crittenden County33******0******1,230**39******0******3******147******575**
Faulkner County0******0******327****60******0******0******62******1,890
Jefferson County0******0******1,9330******0******0******38******655**
Miller County0******0******567**145******0******141******20******613**
Mississippi County7******6******1,056**62******0******23******29******643**
Phillips County0******0******616**0******0******0******0******181******
Pulaski County11******68******4,243487****12******77******266****4,316
Saline County0******2******351****87******0******18******49******1,827
Sebastian County14******87******309****439****0******272****256******1,937
St. Francis County0******0******414****0******0******0******5******141****
Union County14******20******309****7******0******40******30******402**

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%. The Census Bureau asks people to identify their race (white, African-American, etc.) separate from their ethnicity (Hispanic or non-Hispanic). So the totals for these categories cannot be added together, as people show up in both a racial and ethnic group.





Source: U.S. Census Bureau


Unemployment Rate by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas5.0%5.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number Unemployed by Gender
FemaleMale
Arkansas32,53337,948

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.









INDICATORS TREND | STATE
Access to Quality Seats for Infants and Toddlers Increasing
Access to Quality Childcare Seats for Preschoolers Maintaining
Grade 3 Reading Decreasing
Grade 8 Math Maintaining
Graduation Rate Increasing
Remediation Rate Decreasing
Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Adults Pursuing Further Education Decreasing
Imagination Libraries Increasing
Infant Mortality Maintaining
Early Prenatal Care Increasing
Overweight or Obese Students Increasing
Student Drug Usage Decreasing
Overweight or Obese Adults Increasing
Physically Inactive Adults Maintaining
Smoking Rate Decreasing
Flouridated Water Increasing
Insurance Coverage Rates Increasing
Oral Health Increasing
Life Expectancy Decreasing
Routine Check-ups Increasing
Births to Teens Decreasing
Female-headed Households Increasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty Increasing
Elderly Living in Poverty Decreasing
Median Household Income Maintaining
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Access to Financial Services Decreasing
Food Insecurity Decreasing
Incarceration Rate Increasing
Homelessness Decreasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Cost of Homeownership Maintaining
Cost of Rent Increasing
Households Below ALICE Threshold Not Applicable
Child Care Costs for Toddlers Not Applicable
Medical Debt Not Applicable
Voter Participation Rate Decreasing
Charitable Giving Increasing
Volunteering Increasing
Group Participation Increasing
Connection to Neighbors Decreasing
Local Voting Not Applicable
Change in Population Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Age Not Applicable
Adults with a High School Degree Increasing
Adults with a Bachelor's Degree or Higher Increasing
Life Expectancy Decreasing
Female-headed Households Increasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
People Living in Poverty Increasing
Elderly Living in Poverty Decreasing
Median Household Income Maintaining
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Homeownership Rate Decreasing
Child Abuse and Neglect Decreasing
Incarceration Rate Increasing
Medical Debt Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable


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