LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — According to reports from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state's unemployment rate rose to 3.4% in December 2023.
Unemployment rose one-tenth of a percentage point in Arkansas from 3.3% in November 2023. Meanwhile, the U.S. jobless rate remained at 3.7%.
Arkansas’s civilian labor force declined by 1,147 in December 2023. Additionally, the state's labor force participation rate dipped to 57.6%.
The number of employed in the state decreased by 3,638, while 2,491 more unemployed Arkansans began actively seeking work.
In December, nonfarm payroll jobs in Arkansas increased by 3,400 to a total of 1,369,000.
- Manufacturing (+2,300)
- Private Education and Health Services (+1,800)
- Trade-Transportation-Utilities (+1,700)
- Leisure and Hospitality (-3,700)
Compared to December 2022, nonfarm payroll jobs are up 14,500. The largest gains were in:
- Private Education and Health Services (+9,200)
- Construction (+7,600)
- Leisure and Hospitality (+3,500)
- Trade-Transportation-Utilities (-6,100)
For more labor market data, please visit the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services website here.
