ARKANSAS, USA — The latest statistics from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services says Arkansas unemployment rates have been at a standstill of 4.4% since May.
Arkansas withdrew from the Federal Supplemental Unemployment Assistance Program in June to try and encourage people to go back to work. The program offered an extra $300 on top of regular unemployment payments. Arkansans no longer receive the extra stipend, but numbers have not improved.
Joe Rollins, with the NWA Council, says there are over 10,000 jobs available in NWA.
"We've built the careersnwa.com platform so students in our K-12s and universities can learn about real jobs in Northwest Arkansas and have some real backbone understanding of entry-level salary, job security, who are the employers who have the jobs open, and most importantly, how do they apply," says Rollins.
Arkansas unemployment numbers rank better than the national unemployment average, which stands at 5.9%.
“Our 4.4 percent unemployment rate continues to be significantly below the national rate of 5.9 percent,” Governor Hutchinson said today. “In fact, the national rate has been moving in the wrong direction. While employers are searching for workers to keep their businesses in operation or to expand, the shortage of workers reflects a hesitancy of some to return to the workforce. This hesitancy should diminish in the coming months as federal stimulus money slows, and our workers transition from training into full employment.”
Northwest Arkansas' unemployment stands at 3.8%, unemployment rates in the River Valley are higher at 4.8%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.