LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services says unemployment in the state fell to 3.5 percent last month — the lowest level ever recorded.
The agency says Arkansas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 3.6 percent in August and decreased one-tenth of a percentage point in September.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says the state’s unemployment rate declined for the third consecutive month. Nonfarm payroll jobs in Arkansas increased by 19,000 in September to almost 1.26 million.
Bureau spokeswoman Susan Price says September’s unemployment rate is the lowest in Arkansas’ recorded history, breaking last year’s record low of 3.6 percent.
Six major industry sectors posted job gains in September including government, which added 12,900 jobs. Jobs in educational and health services and professional and business services also increased last month.
