Civilian Labor Force Summar y Labor force data, produced by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and released by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, show Arkansas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased two-tenths of a percentage point, from 4.2 percent in February to 4.0 percent in March. Arkansas’ civilian labor force rose 7,262, a result of 9,569 more employed and 2,307 fewer unemployed Arkansans. The United States’ jobless rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 5.0 percent in March. BLS Program Operations Manager Susan Price said, “Arkansas’ unemployment rate decreased in March, as employment gains increased the size of the civilian labor force. The number of employed rose 9,569, reaching employment levels not seen since 2008.” Civilian Labor Force Estimates Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted Civilian Labor Force Mar 16 1,358,908 Feb 16 1,351,646 Mar 15 1,324,512 Civilian Labor Force Mar 16 1,359,339 Feb 16 1,353,789 Mar 15 1,319,136 Employment 1,303,901 1,294,332 1,251,141 Employment 1,304,665 1,289,881 1,244,205 Unemployment 55,007 57,314 73,371 Unemployment 54,674 63,908 74,931 Unemployment Rate 4.0 4.2 5.5 Unemployment Rate 4.0 4.7 5.7 U.S. Unemployment 5.0 4.9 5.5 U.S. Unemployment 5.1 5.2 5.6 10.0 Unemployment Rates (Seasonally Adjusted) State of Arkansas vs. United States March: 2006 - 2016 9.0 8.0 7.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 '06 '07 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '15 '16 State of Arkansas United States
Production Workers- Hours and Earnings Manufacturing Mar 16 Feb 16 Mar 15 Average Weekly Hours Average Hourly Earnings Average Weekly Earnings 39.4 15.87 625.28 39.1 16.05 627.56 Durable Goods and Nondurable Goods Manufacturing Durable Goods Manufacturing Nondurable Goods Manufacturing Mar 16 Feb 16 Mar 15 Mar 16 Feb 16 Mar 15 Average Weekly Hours Average Hourly Earnings Average Weekly Earnings 40.6 17.58 713.75 40.6 17.67 717.40 40.0 17.74 709.60 Hours Hourly 38.2 14.17 541.29 37.7 14.40 542.88 $19.00 Average Hourly Earnings: Durable Goods vs. Nondurable Goods March: 2006 - 2016 $18.00 $17.00 $16.00 1 2 3 5 9 73
Out-of-State MSA Civilian Labor Force Estimates (Not Seasonally Adjusted) Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA The Memphis, TN-MS-AR MSA= Fayette, Shelby, & Tipton counties in Tennessee; Benton, Desoto, Marshall, Tate, & Tunica counties in Mississippi; & Crittenden County in Arkansas. Mar 16 Feb 16 Mar 15 OTM OT Y Civilian Labor Force 617,395 620,344 609,708 -2,949 7,687 Employment 588,318 589,452 570,773 -1,134 17,545 Unemployment 29,077 30,892 38,935 -1,815 -9,858 Unemployment Rate 4.7 5.0 6.4 -0.3 -1.7 Texarkana MSA The Texarkana MSA= Bowie County in Texas & Little River & Miller counties in Arkansas. Mar 16 Feb 16 Mar 15 OTM OT Y Civilian Labor Force 65,700 65,641 64,163 59 1,537 Employment 62,898 62,620 60,859 278 2,039 Unemployment 2,802 3,021 3,304 -219 -502 Unemployment Rate 4.3 4.6 5.1 -0.3 -0.8 12.0 Unemployment Rates- Memphis MSA March: 2006 - 2016 64,000 of Employed- Texarkana MSA January 2014 - March 2016 10.0 63,000 62,000 8.0 61,000 6.0 60,000 4.0 59,000 2.0 58,000
Benton Washington Carroll Madison Boone Newton Marion Searcy Baxter Stone Fulton Izard Sharp Randolph Lawrence Clay Greene Craighead Mississippi Crawford Sebastian Franklin Logan Johnson Pope Van Buren Conway Cleburne White Cross Crittenden Scott Polk Yell Montgomery Garland Perry Saline Faulkner Pulaski Lonoke Prairie St. Lee Phillips Sevier Howard Pike Hot Clark Grant Jefferson Lincoln Cleveland Unemployment Rates Little River Hempstead Miller Nevada Ouachita Calhoun Bradley Drew Chicot < or = 4.0% 4.1% - 6.0% 6.1% - 8.0% Lafayette Columbia Union Ashley > 8.0% Ranked by Unemployment Rates March 2016- Not Seasonally Adjusted Rank County Washington Rate 2.7 Rank 24 County Clark Rate 4.2 Rank 50 County Lincoln Rate 5.1 Benton 2.9 24 Garland 4.2 50 Perry 5.1
Madison 3.2 24 Greene 4.2 53 Conway 5.3 3 Saline 3.2 24 Lawrence 4.2 53 Montgomery 5.3 Craighead 3.3 24 Newton 4.2 53 Stone 5.3 5 Howard 3.3 31 Poinsett 4.3 53 Union 5.3 7 Arkansas 3.4 31 Yell 4.3 57 Columbia 5.4 7 Lonoke 3.4 33 Franklin 4.4 57 Dallas 5.4 Pulaski 3.6 33 Fulton 4.4 57 White 5.4 9 Scott 3.6 35 Pike 4.5 60 Drew 5.5 11 Carroll 3.8 35 Pope 4.5 60 Izard 5.5 11 Nevada 3.8 35 Searcy 4.5 62 Jefferson 5.6 11 Sebastian 3.8 38 Cleveland 4.6 62 St. Francis 5.6 14 Boone 3.9 38 Crittenden 4.6 64 Woodruff 5.7 14 Faulkner 3.9 38 Cross 4.6 65 Ashley 5.8 14 Grant 3.9 41 Calhoun 4.7 65 Sharp 5.8 14 Hempstead 3.9 41 Johnson 4.7 67 Desha 6.0 14 Prairie 3.9 41 Lee 4.7 67 Lafayette 6.0 19 Crawford 4.0 41 Logan 4.7 69 Clay 6.2 19 Miller 4.0 41 Monroe 4.7 69 Phillips 6.2 21 Hot Spring 4.1 46 Polk 4.8 71 Cleburne 6.5 21 Little River 4.1 47 Sevier 4.9 72 Jackson 6.6 21 Marion 4.1 48 Ouachita 5.0 Chicot 6.8 24 Baxter 4.2 48 Randolph 5.0 73 Van Buren 6.8 24 Bradley 4.2 50 Independence 5.1 75 Mississippi 6.9