U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 

The Geographic Distribution and 

Characteristics of Older Workers in 

Arkansas: 2004

Local Employment Dynamics

U.S. Department of Commerce

Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU

Issued November 2007

LED-OW2007-AR

By

Cynthia Taeuber

and

Matthew R. Graham

Sponsored by the 

National Institute on Aging 

National Institutes of Health

U.S. Department of Health 

 and Human Services

What’s in This Report?

HIGHLIGHTS

THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS 

PROGRAM

SOURCES AND ACCURACY 

OF THE ESTIMATES

CHARACTERISTICS AND 

EMPLOYMENT DYNAMICS 

OF OLDER WORKERS

Table 1—Percentage of Workers by Age 

 in Metropolitan Statistical Areas 

 and Nonmetropolitan Area 

 Workplaces in Arkansas: 2004

Figure 1—Arkansas Workforce by 

 Age Group: 2002 to 2004

Figure 2—Percentage of Workers 45 to 

 54 Years Old by County of 

 Workplace in Arkansas: 2004

Figure 3—Percentage of Workers 55 to 

 64 Years Old by County of 

 Workplace in Arkansas: 2004

Figure 4—Percentage of Workers 65 and 

 Older by County of Workplace 

 in Arkansas: 2004

Figure 5—Percentage Change in Number 

 of Workers 55 and Older by 

 County of Workplace in 

 Arkansas: 2003 to 2004

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

HIGHLIGHTS

The statistics about older workers in 

Arkansas in 2004 show this group’s 

proportion of the state’s labor force has 

increased. Changes in the size and composition of age groups may affect government program and policy choices and the 

options available to businesses. National 

projections indicate that the population 

65 and older will increase from about 

1 in 8 people to 1 in 5 people by 2030, 

so that older workers will likely compose 

an increasingly larger proportion of each 

state’s workforce.1 Whether, and in what 

industries, the large wave of workers born 

during the Baby Boom of 1946 to 1964 

are currently working may influence their 

labor force behavior beyond traditional 

retirement ages. That is important information for firms planning for the eventual 

loss of experienced workers and the payout of pensions. In 2004, the Baby Boom 

cohort was aged 40 to 58. 

This report uses data from the Local 

Employment Dynamics (LED) program to 

show the geographic distribution and the 

economic dynamics among private sector workers 55 and older (also including 

some statistics on those aged 45 to 54). It 

includes comparisons among the counties (and county equivalents) and between 

metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of 

Arkansas.2

 1 U.S. Census Bureau, 2004. “U.S. Interim Projections 

by Age, Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin,” <http://www

.census.gov/ipc/www/usinterimproj/natprojtab02a

.xls>.

 2 The metropolitan and nonmetropolitan county 

classifications are based on Census 2000. For definitions of specific metropolitan statistical areas, see 

<http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates

/metroarea.html>.
 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• Statewide, 14.3 percent of work-

 ers were 55 and older. The five 

 counties with the highest per-

 centage of workers 55 and older 

 were:3

Industry Sectors With the 

Highest Proportions of Older 

Workers in 20045

• Statewide, among industry sec-

 tors that employed 100 or more 

 workers 55 and older, Real Estate 

 and Rental and Leasing (NAICS 

 53) had the highest proportion of 

 workers in this age group. This 

 sector had the highest percentage 

 of workers 55 and older in three 

 counties as well.

• Statewide, the industry sector 

 with more than 1 in 5 workers 

 55 and older that employed at 

 least 100 or more workers from 

 that age group was:

Industries are classified according 

to the North American Industry 

Classification System (NAICS). 

Because the Quarterly Workforce 

Indicators (QWI) are updated every 

3 months, the numbers in this report 

may differ from the most recent 

ones on the current LED Web site, 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

This report defines “older workers” 

as those 55 and older. Information 

is displayed for all workers by age 

groups to facilitate comparisons 

among workers and provide information about the potential characteristics of future older workers. The 

characteristics and geographic distribution throughout Arkansas of three 

groups of older workers are shown: 

those who may be receiving pension 

income but who are working (65 and 

older) and two pre-retirement groups 

of workers, who may start collecting 

pensions and social security over the 

next two decades (workers aged 45 

to 54 and aged 55 to 64). 

With the LED information, state 

planners can monitor the impact 

of changes in the workforce and 

emerging trends. Detailed statistics 

about workers by age in counties 

and metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of Arkansas are available 

on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site, 

<http://www.census.gov>.

Following are highlights from the 

detailed statistics.

Age Composition of the 

Workforce

• Of the 75 counties in Arkansas, 

 20.0 percent or more of the total 

 workforce in three counties was 

 55 or older.

• Statewide, 3.1 percent of work-

 ers were 65 and older. The five 

 counties with the highest per- 

 centage of workers 65 and older 

 were:4

 3 Counties with low employment (fewer than 

100 employees) in the 55-and-older age group 

are not included in this list.

 4 Counties with low employment (fewer than 

100 employees) in the 65-and-older age group 

are not included in this list.

• In metropolitan statistical areas 

 of the state, the industry sector 

 that employed the largest per-

 centage of workers 55 and older 

 was Real Estate and Rental and 

 Leasing (NAICS 53), with 20.0 

 percent; the industry sector with 

 the highest proportion of workers 

 65 and older was Real Estate and 

 Rental and Leasing (NAICS 53), 

 with 6.5 percent.

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places in Arkansas, the industry 

 sector that employed the largest 

 percentage of workers 55 and 

 older was Arts, Entertainment, 

 and Recreation (NAICS 71), with 

 24.5 percent. Arts, Entertainment, 

 and Recreation (NAICS 71) was 

 also the industry sector with the 

 highest proportion of workers 65 

 and older, with 11.2 percent.

County Percentage

of workforce

Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23.4

Searcy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.5

Fulton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.1

Woodruff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.3

Little River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.0

Note: Due to rounding, the data in this table

may differ from the data used for the statement

in the first bullet.

County Percentage

of workforce

Monroe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.0

Phillips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5

Pike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4

Van Buren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8

Garland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8

Industry Percentage

of workforce

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.5

• Of the 75 counties in Arkansas, 

 66 counties experienced an 

 increase from 2003 to 2004 

 in the percentage of the county 

 workforce that was 55 and older. 

 The largest increase was in 

 Fulton County.

• Of the total workforce employed 

 in metropolitan statistical areas, 

 about 13.3 percent was 55 and 

 older; in nonmetropolitan area 

 workplaces, the proportion was 

 15.9 percent.

 5 Sectors are groups of industries. For more 

information, see <http://www.census.gov

/epcd/www/naicsect.htm>.
U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 

Industry Sectors Most Likely to 

Employ Older Workers in 2004

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older, 22.1 percent were 

 employed in Manufacturing 

 (NAICS 31–33), the highest 

 proportion for that age group of 

 any industry sector in the state. 

 This industry was ranked number 

 one in 48 of 75 counties.

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older in metropolitan 

 statistical areas, 17.7 percent 

 were employed in Manufacturing 

 (NAICS 31–33), the highest pro-

 portion for that age group state-

 wide among industrial sectors.

• Of all the workers in the state 

 55 and older in nonmetropolitan 

 area workplaces, 28.1 percent 

 were employed in Manufacturing 

 (NAICS 31–33), the highest pro-

 portion for that age group state-

 wide among industrial sectors.

Quarterly Job Gains and Losses 

in 2004

• On average, for workers 55 to 64 

 years old, 4,979 jobs were cre-

 ated quarterly and 6,615 jobs 

 were lost quarterly. For workers 

 65 and older, the numbers were 

 1,966 and 2,770, respectively.

• The county with the largest share 

 of job gains for workers 55 to 64 

 years old was Pulaski County, 

 with 19.1 percent. The largest 

 share of job losses for such work-

 ers was also in Pulaski County, 

 with 20.6 percent.

• The county with the largest share 

 of job gains for workers 65 and 

 older was Pulaski County, with 

 18.9 percent. The largest share 

 of job losses for such workers 

 was also in Pulaski County, with 

 20.1 percent.

• The industry sector with the 

 largest gain in jobs for workers 

 55 to 64 years old was Retail 

 Trade (NAICS 44–45), with an 

 average of 673 jobs gained per 

 quarter at the state level. The 

 most jobs lost by that age group 

 were in Manufacturing (NAICS 

 31–33), with an average of 

 1,247 jobs lost per quarter at 

 the state level.

• The industry sector with the 

 largest gain in jobs for workers 

 65 and older was Retail Trade 

 (NAICS 44–45), with 267 jobs 

 gained per quarter at the state 

 level. The most jobs lost by that 

 group were also in Retail Trade 

 (NAICS 44–45), with 437 jobs 

 lost per quarter at the state level.

Average Earnings of Older 

Workers in 2004

• Statewide, on average, workers

 55 and older earned $2,861 

 a month.

• Of industry sectors employing at 

 least 100 workers 55 and older, 

 the highest paying was Utilities 

 (NAICS 22). Workers in that sec-

 tor earned, on average, $4,503 

 a month. The lowest paying was 

 Accommodation and Food 

 Services (NAICS 72). Workers in 

 this sector earned, on average, 

 $1,252 a month. The following

 table shows statewide average 

 monthly earnings in 2004 for 

 full-quarter, private-sector wage 

 and salary workers 55 and older 

 by NAICS sector.

Older Workers in Metropolitan 

Statistical Areas and in Nonmetropolitan Area Workplaces 

in 2004

• In metropolitan statistical areas, 

 the five industry sectors with the 

 largest percentage of workers 

 55 and older were:

Industry Earnings

(dollars)

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,503

Management of companies and

enterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,472

Finance and insurance . . . . . . . . 4,007

Professional, scientific, and

technical services . . . . . . . . . . . 3,997

Mining. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,757

Wholesale trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,688

Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,532

Transportation and

warehousing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,107

Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,087

Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,080

Health care and social

assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,916

Educational services . . . . . . . . . . 2,621

Agriculture, forestry, fishing,

and hunting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,240

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,189

Retail trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,004

Other services (except public

administration) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,928

Administrative and support and

waste management and

remediation services . . . . . . . . . 1,883

Arts, entertainment, and

recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,374

Accommodation and food

services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,252

Industry Percentage

of workers

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.0

Agriculture, forestry, fishing,

and hunting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.1

Other services (except public

administration) . . . . . . . . . . . 18.1

Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.9

Educational services . . . . . . . 16.3
 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places, the five industry sectors 

 with the largest percentage of 

 workers 55 and older were:

QWI for partner states and 

detailed information about the 

LED program are available 

without cost at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

• In metropolitan statistical areas, 

 of industry sectors employing at 

 least 100 workers 55 and older, 

 the highest paying for workers 

 55 and older was Utilities 

 (NAICS 22), which paid, on aver-

 age, $4,896 a month. The lowest 

 paying was Accommodation and 

 Food Services (NAICS 72), which 

 paid, on average, $1,349 

 a month.

• In nonmetropolitan area work-

 places, of industry sectors 

 employing at least 100 workers 

 55 and older, the highest pay-

 ing for workers 55 and older was 

 Management of Companies and 

 Enterprises (NAICS 55), which 

 paid, on average, $4,462 a 

 month. The lowest paying was 

 Accommodation and Food 

 Services (NAICS 72), which paid, 

 on average, $1,140 a month.

THE LOCAL EMPLOYMENT 

DYNAMICS PROGRAM

The LED Program is a partnership 

between the Census Bureau and the 

participating states. LED produces 

QWI for each partner state, as well 

as each partner state’s metropolitan 

areas, combined nonmetropolitan 

areas, counties, and Workforce 

Investment Board areas. 

Quarterly and annual averages are 

available at <http://lehd.did.census

.gov>.6

workers and a tool to monitor economic change.7 The statistics are 

comparable across time, making it 

possible to identify emerging workforce trends and turning points 

and to compare areas and demographic groups working in specific 

industries. Industries are classified 

according to the NAICS.

The QWI come from a mixture of 

data sources, the base of which is 

a census of jobs. The LED database 

includes all jobs a worker holds 

and allows multiple definitions of 

“employment” in order to respond 

to a wide variety of questions about 

the workforce (see “Sources and 

Accuracy of the Estimates” in the 

following section). The definition of 

“employment” in this report, unless 

stated otherwise, is “beginning of 

quarter” employment—that is, the 

total number of workers who were 

employed by the same employer in 

the reference quarter and the previous quarter. 

As job-based statistics, the QWI are 

not directly comparable with statistics from worker-based surveys 

such as the decennial and economic 

censuses, the American Community Survey, or the Current Population Survey.8 Neither are the QWI 

exactly comparable with establishment surveys, such as those from 

the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 

Quarterly Census of Employment

and Wages (QCEW) program, which 

capture employment data at 

establishments on the 12th of the 

month. 

 6 For more complete information on QWI, 

see Abowd, John M., Bryce E. Stephens, Lars 

Vilhuber, Fredrik Andersson, Kevin L. McKinney, 

Marc Roemer, and Simon Woodcock, 2005. 

The LEHD Infrastructure Files and the Creation 

of the Quarterly Workforce Indicators. LEHD 

Technical Paper, TP-2006-01. U.S. Census 

Bureau, Washington, DC. Available at <http://

lehd.did.census.gov/led/library/techpapers

/tp-2006-01.pdf>.

 7 Because the QWI are updated quarterly, the 

numbers in this report may differ from the 

most recent ones, which are shown on the 

current LED Web site. For the latest list of 

partner states, see <http://lehd.did.census

.gov/led/led/statepartners.html>. Additional 

states are in the process of joining.

 8 Information about the decennial census is 

available at <http://www.census.gov/main

/www/cen2000.html>. American Community 

Survey information is available at <http://

www.census.gov/acs/www>. Information

about economic censuses is available at 

<http://www.census.gov/epcd/www

/econ2002.html>. 

Industry Percentage

of workers

Arts, entertainment, and

recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.5

Other services (except public

administration) . . . . . . . . . . . 23.7

Educational services . . . . . . . 22.0

Real estate and rental and

leasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.3

Finance and insurance . . . . . 20.3

Overview

The QWI are measures of economic 

characteristics and change selected 

jointly by the Census Bureau and its 

partner states. Each component of 

the QWI provides a critical measure 

of an area’s economy and can be 

used as a tool to better understand 

changes in the core performance of 

local economies. 

Listed in this report are figures and 

data tables that show selected QWI 

statistics on older workers. Comprehensive summary data that cover 

geographic areas and include age 

and gender composition by industry, total employment, net job flows, 

job gains and job losses, separations, new hires, skill level (quarters of employment), and average 

monthly earnings are available at 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

Nine months after a quarter ends, 

the Census Bureau and its partners 

update the workforce indicators for 

that quarter. This provides current 

and historical information about the 

characteristics of America’s 
U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 

Throughout this report, “earnings” 

refer only to the earnings of workers who were employed for a full 

quarter—that is, those who were 

employed by the same employer 

in the reference, previous, and 

subsequent quarters. This earnings measure reflects the earnings 

of “attached” employees, generally 

workers who worked for the same 

employer for the whole quarter. 

The measures of earnings from the 

QWI are not directly comparable 

with measures of earnings from 

the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

SOURCES AND ACCURACY 

OF THE ESTIMATES

Because the QWI are job-based 

statistics, not the worker-based 

statistics familiar to many 

researchers, the LED database 

allows multiple definitions of 

“employment” and can respond to 

a wide variety of questions about 

the workforce.9 

Sources

Enhanced unemployment insurance (UI) wage records and the 

QCEW are the basic data sources 

for the QWI. These are administrative data provided to the Census 

Bureau by partner states. The QWI’s 

coverage, timing of data collection, 

and concept definitions differ from 

those in worker-based surveys, 

such as the decennial and economic censuses, the American Community Survey, and the Current 

Population Survey. Also, QWI data 

are not exactly comparable with 

Bureau of Labor Statistics information, due to timing differences.

Administrative data from these 

sources almost certainly contain 

nonsampling errors. The extent of 

the nonsampling errors is unknown. 

Sources of nonsampling errors 

include errors made in data collection, such as recording and coding 

errors, errors made in processing 

the data, errors made in estimating 

values for missing data, and errors 

from failing to represent all units 

within a target population (undercoverage).

The LED program undertakes a 

process of continuous monitoring 

to attempt to control the nonsampling errors in the integrated data 

that underlie the LED database. In 

particular, identifiers on both the UI 

wage records and the QCEW records 

are subjected to longitudinal editing every quarter. A set of quality 

assurance tests is applied to the 

integrated data. These tests detect 

problems known to cause nonsampling errors—primarily, tests for 

missing records of various types 

(based on estimates of the number 

of expected records from alternative 

sources), tests for incomplete wage 

or earnings information, and tests 

for changes in the structure of identifiers or entities. Problems detected 

by these quality assurance tests are 

investigated and corrected before 

data integration and production of 

the QWI are allowed to continue.10

Industries are based upon the 

NAICS.

Coverage

This report covers civilian noninstitutionalized workers in the private 

sector only. While this report does 

not include federal government 

workers, the complete QWI database 

does include most state and local 

government employees. The QWI 

database covers about 98 percent 

of nonagricultural, private wage, 

salaried employment.

 9 For the QWI, a “job” is defined as an 

employer-employee pair among administrative datasets.

 10 Technical documentation is available at

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>. 

The remaining 2 percent of the nonagricultural, private wage, salaried 

workers are railroad workers and 

workers for some nonprofit organizations. Self-employed workers and 

independent contractors are not in 

the covered universe.11 

Definitions

The LED database includes all jobs 

held:

 

• In a quarter, regardless of the 

 length of time the job is held.

• At the beginning of a quarter—

 the measure used in this report 

 (workers employed by the same 

 employer in the previous and 

 current quarters).

• At the end of a quarter.

• For a full quarter (total number of 

 workers who were employed by 

 the same employer in the current, 

 previous, and subsequent quar-

 ters). This measure is used in this 

 report for average earnings 

 because it reflects the earnings 

 of employees in more stable jobs.

The measure that is closest to the 

QCEW definition of employment is 

the second one, jobs held at the 

beginning of a quarter. This second 

measure has the additional advantage of capturing trends similar to 

those shown by worker-based 

surveys, such as the decennial 

census, although the levels differ.

Annual figures are simple averages 

with each quarter weighted equally. 

There is no differential weighting of 

averages for seasonal industries, for 

example.

 11 U.S. Census Bureau, David W. Stevens. 

Employment That Is Not Covered by State 

Unemployment. LEHD Technical Paper, 

TP-2002-16. U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, 

DC. Available at <http://lehd.did.census

.gov/led/library/techpapers/tp-2002-16.pdf>.
 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Earnings are measured differently 

among the various datasets. According to the BLS Handbook of Methods

(1997), UI wage records measure 

“gross wages and salaries, bonuses, 

stock options, tips, and other 

gratuities, and the value of meals 

and lodging, where supplied.” They 

do not include amounts paid for 

Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability 

Insurance (OASDI), health insurance, 

workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, private pensions, 

and welfare funds. The LED database does not include the number 

of hours or weeks an employee 

worked. Thus, low average earnings in a given year or quarter in an 

industry sector may reflect relatively 

low hourly wages, or many parttime jobs, or both, as often occurs 

in the retail trade sector.

Some large companies have multiple work sites but may report all 

their workers at the company’s main 

address. This creates a problem for 

the correct geographic distribution 

of the workers. LED uses an imputation process to allocate workers to 

geographic areas in order to maintain appropriate distributions within 

the QWI dataset.

Confidentiality of information 

about individuals and firms is 

protected.

The Census Bureau and the state 

partners are committed to protecting the confidentiality of the data 

used to create the LED estimates. 

One technical approach used to conceal individual information involves 

combining cell suppression methodology and statistical noise, thereby 

controlling key measures to county 

employment levels, as reported 

by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

In other words, the Census Bureau 

uses statistical techniques in which 

the actual statistics are not shown 

if the numbers in a cell are small. 

In addition, the statistics that are 

shown are “fuzzy,” meaning close 

to the actual information but not 

exact.

Only Census Bureau employees and 

individuals who have Special Sworn 

Status are permitted to work with 

the input data. Everyone who has 

access to data protected by Title 13 

of the U.S. Code must have an 

official security clearance based 

on a background check, including 

fingerprinting.12 

Additionally, these individuals are 

subject to a fine of up to $250,000, 

up to 5 years in prison, or both, if 

confidential information is disclosed. The Census Bureau and the 

state data custodians review all 

products before release to avoid disclosure of confidential information. 

More detailed information about the 

confidentiality protection system is 

available under the “Confidentiality” 

menu at <http://lehd.did.census

.gov>.

 12 The Census Bureau’s Data Protection and 

Privacy Policy, including information on 

Title 13, is available at <http://www.census

.gov/privacy>.
U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 

Figure 1.

Arkansas Workforce by Age Group: 2002 to 2004

Note: Universe is all jobs identified by the LED program.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and the state of Arkansas, Local Employment Dynamics 

program, 2004. See <http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

Percent of beginning-of-quarter employment

65+

14–44

45–54

55–64 

2002 2003

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Q4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

2004

Beginning-of-quarter 

employment

Total number of workers 

employed by the same 

employer in the reference

and previous quarters.

Table 1.

Percentage of Workers by Age in Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Nonmetropolitan

Area Workplaces in Arkansas: 2004

Area of workplace 45 to 54 years 55 to 64 years 55 to 99 years 65 to 99 years

Arkansas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.9 11.2 14.3 3.1

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.3 10.3 13.1 2.7

Fort Smith, AR-OK (AR part). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.1 10.9 13.5 2.5

Jonesboro, AR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.1 9.7 12.2 2.5

Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8 10.5 13.3 2.9

Memphis, TN-AR-MS (AR part) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6 10.9 14.3 3.4

Pine Bluff, AR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.0 11.2 14.4 3.2

Texarkana, TX-Texarkana, AR (AR part). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.8 10.0 12.9 2.9

All metropolitan areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.5 10.5 13.3 2.8

All nonmetropolitan area workplaces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.5 12.2 15.9 3.7

Note: Discrepancies may occur due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and the state of Arkansas, Local Employment Dynamics program, 2004. See <http://lehd.did.census.gov>.

Characteristics and Employment Dynamics of Older Workers
 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau MISSOURI MISSISSIPPI TEXAS OKLAHOMA LOUISIANA TENNESSEE YELL LEE POPE WHITE POLK UNION PIKE DREW CLARK SCOTT ASHLEY CLAY DESHA SALINE BENTON LOGAN PULASKI ARKANSAS IZARD LONOKE CROSS SHARP NEWTON MILLER PRAIRIE STONE PERRY GRANT PHILLIPS SEVIER CHICOT MADISON SEARCY DALLAS JEFFERSON MISSISSIPPI BOONE POINSETT MARION BAXTER FULTON GREENE GARLAND NEVADA BRAD- LEY COLUMBIA JOHNSON JACKSON MONROE

WASHINGTON

OUACHITA

CARROLL

LINCOLN

HOWARD

FAULKNER

CALHOUN

FRANKLIN

CONWAY

HEMPSTEAD

CRAIGHEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

LAWRENCE

VAN

BUREN

MONTGOMERY

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

SEBASTIAN

INDEPENDENCE

CRITTENDEN

LAFAYETTE

LITTLE

RIVER

HOT

SPRING

ST.

FRANCIS

Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.Statistical Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, 2006.

Percentage of WorkersAged 45 to 54 by CountyNote: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000.Key values may not reflect precise category breaks dueto rounding.

STATE22.6 to 27.221.4 to 22.5

19.9 to 21.3

17.7 to 19.8

COUNTY

0 20 40 60 80 100 Kilometers0 20 40 60 80 100 Miles

Figure 2.Percentage of Workers 45 to 54 Years Old by County of Workplace in Arkansas: 2004
U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004  MISSOURI MISSISSIPPI TEXAS OKLAHOMA LOUISIANA TENNESSEE YELL LEE POPE WHITE POLK UNION PIKE DREW CLARK SCOTT ASHLEY CLAY DESHA SALINE BENTON LOGAN PULASKI ARKANSAS IZARD LONOKE CROSS SHARP NEWTON MILLER PRAIRIE STONE PERRY GRANT PHILLIPS SEVIER CHICOT MADISON SEARCY DALLAS JEFFERSON MISSISSIPPI BOONE POINSETT MARION BAXTER FULTON GREENE GARLAND NEVADA BRAD- LEY COLUMBIA JOHNSON JACKSON MONROE

WASHINGTON

OUACHITA

CARROLL

LINCOLN

HOWARD

FAULKNER

CALHOUN

FRANKLIN

CONWAY

HEMPSTEAD

CRAIGHEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

LAWRENCE

VAN

BUREN

MONTGOMERY

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

SEBASTIAN

INDEPENDENCE

CRITTENDEN

LAFAYETTE

LITTLE

RIVER

HOT

SPRING

ST.

FRANCIS

Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.Statistical Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, 2006.

Percentage of WorkersAged 55 to 64 by CountyNote: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000.Key values may not reflect precise category breaks dueto rounding.

STATE13.6 to 17.212.4 to 13.5

10.9 to 12.3

8.7 to 10.8

COUNTY

0 20 40 60 80 100 Kilometers0 20 40 60 80 100 Miles

Figure 3.Percentage of Workers 55 to 64 Years Old by County of Workplace in Arkansas: 2004
10 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau MISSOURI MISSISSIPPI TEXAS OKLAHOMA LOUISIANA TENNESSEE YELL LEE POPE WHITE POLK UNION PIKE DREW CLARK SCOTT ASHLEY CLAY DESHA SALINE BENTON LOGAN PULASKI ARKANSAS IZARD LONOKE CROSS SHARP NEWTON MILLER PRAIRIE STONE PERRY GRANT PHILLIPS SEVIER CHICOT MADISON SEARCY DALLAS JEFFERSON MISSISSIPPI BOONE POINSETT MARION BAXTER FULTON GREENE GARLAND NEVADA BRAD- LEY COLUMBIA JOHNSON JACKSON MONROE

WASHINGTON

OUACHITA

CARROLL

LINCOLN

HOWARD

FAULKNER

CALHOUN

FRANKLIN

CONWAY

HEMPSTEAD

CRAIGHEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

LAWRENCE

VAN

BUREN

MONTGOMERY

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

SEBASTIAN

INDEPENDENCE

CRITTENDEN

LAFAYETTE

LITTLE

RIVER

HOT

SPRING

ST.

FRANCIS

Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.Statistical Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, 2006.

Percentage of Workers65 and Older by CountyNote: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000.Key values may not reflect precise category breaks dueto rounding.

STATE4.5 to 6.73.7 to 4.4

3.2 to 3.6

2.0 to 3.1

COUNTY

0 20 40 60 80 100 Kilometers0 20 40 60 80 100 Miles

Figure 4.Percentage of Workers 65 and Older by County of Workplace in Arkansas: 2004
U.S. Census Bureau The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 11 MISSOURI MISSISSIPPI TEXAS OKLAHOMA LOUISIANA TENNESSEE YELL LEE POPE WHITE POLK UNION PIKE DREW CLARK SCOTT ASHLEY CLAY DESHA SALINE BENTON LOGAN PULASKI ARKANSAS IZARD LONOKE CROSS SHARP NEWTON MILLER PRAIRIE STONE PERRY GRANT PHILLIPS SEVIER CHICOT MADISON SEARCY DALLAS JEFFERSON MISSISSIPPI BOONE POINSETT MARION BAXTER FULTON GREENE GARLAND NEVADA BRAD- LEY COLUMBIA JOHNSON JACKSON MONROE

WASHINGTON

OUACHITA

CARROLL

LINCOLN

HOWARD

FAULKNER

CALHOUN

FRANKLIN

CONWAY

HEMPSTEAD

CRAIGHEAD

RANDOLPH

CLEBURNE

LAWRENCE

VAN

BUREN

MONTGOMERY

CRAWFORD

WOODRUFF

CLEVELAND

SEBASTIAN

INDEPENDENCE

CRITTENDEN

LAFAYETTE

LITTLE

RIVER

HOT

SPRING

ST.

FRANCIS

Spatial Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000.Statistical Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Program, 2006.

0 20 40 60 80 100 Kilometers0 20 40 60 80 100 Miles

Percentage Change in Number of Workers Aged 55 and Older,from 2003 to 2004, by County

Note: All boundaries and names are as of January 1, 2000.Key values may not reflectprecise category breaks dueto rounding.

STATE5.4 to 17.23.5 to 5.3

1.4 to 3.4

-10.6 to 1.3

COUNTY

Figure 5.Percentage Change in Number of Workers 55 and Older by County of Workplace in Arkansas: 2003 to 2004 
12 The Geographic Distribution and Characteristics of Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Other data tables with information 

about older workers are available 

for download from the LED Web site 

in a comma-separated value (.csv) 

format. Brief descriptions of the 

available tables are given below. 

See <http://lehd.did.census.gov> 

for additional details.

Characteristics and 

Employment Dynamics 

of Older Workers

Age composition

A series of tables shows absolute 

and relative shares of older workers 

disaggregated into four standard 

age ranges. Both the county and 

metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

aggregation levels are presented 

for 2004.

Industry sectors with a high 

proportion of older workers

Two tables contain data on the 

top five industry sectors for older 

workers in 2004 at the county 

aggregation level and at the metropolitan statistical area and nonmetropolitan area workplace aggregation levels.

Most likely industry sectors of 

employment for older workers

A table contains the top five industry sectors most likely to employ 

workers 55 and older. The aggregation level is the county of workplace 

for 2004.

Job gains and losses

A series of tables displays gains, 

losses, and net changes in jobs 

for older workers disaggregated 

into four standard age ranges. The 

aggregation level is the workplace 

county for 2004.

Average monthly earnings of 

older workers

A series of tables displays average 

monthly earnings for workers 55 

and older across industry sectors 

and aggregated at the county and 

metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

levels. An additional table presents 

earnings across the four standard 

age ranges. 

Appendix tables

These tables contain all remaining 

datasets—aggregated by county 

and metropolitan statistical area and 

nonmetropolitan area workplace 

levels and organized by industry 

and age. Notable data include: 

employment totals for 2003 to 

2004, quarterly job loss/gain 

composition for 2004, and average 

monthly earnings and employment 

by Workforce Investment Areas.

Acknowledgments

Research for and production of 

this report was supported under 

an interagency agreement with the 

Behavioral and Social Research Program, National Institute on Aging, 

Agreement No. Y1-AG-9415-07, and 

under Grant No. R01-AG018854.

Thanks to Heath Hayward for 

production of the state maps. 

Also, thanks to Corinne Prost and 

Matthew Armstrong for assistance 

in the statistical anaylsis.

More Information

This report is one of a series of 

reports on older workers in the LED 

partnership. Additional tables of 

data and other detailed information 

can be found at the LED Web site, 

<http://lehd.did.census.gov>. Other 

data tools and applications, such as 

QWI Online and OnTheMap, based 

upon LED partnership data, can also 

be found on the LED Web site.

Suggested Citation

Taeuber, Cynthia and Matthew R. 

Graham, 2007. The Geographic 

Distribution and Characteristics of 

Older Workers in Arkansas: 2004. 

LED Older Workers Profile, 

LED-OW2007-AR. U.S. Census 

Bureau, Washington, DC.