Counties with the highest unemployment in Arkansas
While today's unemployment rates are significantly lower than the COVID-19 pandemic peak of 14.7% experienced in April 2020, the fear of job losses remains as workers stare down an uncertain economic future.
Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Arkansas using Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in February 2024, with initial ties broken by the number of unemployed people within that county, though some ties may remain. County-level unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted.
Experts are mixed in their views of a potential recession. The return of student loan payments, continually high gas prices, persistent inflation, and insurance price escalations are just a few of the factors that could limit consumer spending and potentially prompt another recession.
The last economic recession before the pandemic—the Great Recession of 2007-09—sent unemployment rates up to 10% as of October 2009, and a full recovery took years.
But as of March 2024, the national unemployment rate remains relatively low at 3.8%—down slightly from the previous month. Regional and state employment varies widely depending on local economies. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates by state demonstrate a rather sizable spectrum, ranging from just 2% in North Dakota to 5.3% in California.
Read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Arkansas.
#50. Greene County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,646 people (754 unemployed)
#49. White County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 33,868 people (1,292 unemployed)
#48. Garland County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,189 people (1,571 unemployed)
#47. Perry County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,316 people (167 unemployed)
#46. Randolph County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,051 people (272 unemployed)
#45. Carroll County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 11,859 people (465 unemployed)
#44. Monroe County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,372 people (95 unemployed)
#43. Nevada County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,308 people (133 unemployed)
#42. Poinsett County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,806 people (390 unemployed)
#41. Miller County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,600 people (736 unemployed)
#40. Dallas County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,614 people (106 unemployed)
#39. Fulton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,481 people (184 unemployed)
#38. Cross County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,712 people (275 unemployed)
#37. Logan County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,162 people (337 unemployed)
#36. Conway County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,255 people (339 unemployed)
#35. Columbia County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,835 people (365 unemployed)
#34. Baxter County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,723 people (680 unemployed)
#33. Pope County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 28,296 people (1,153 unemployed)
#32. Sevier County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,421 people (229 unemployed)
#31. Ouachita County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,684 people (406 unemployed)
#30. Woodruff County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,820 people (122 unemployed)
#29. Bradley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,017 people (173 unemployed)
#28. Sharp County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,945 people (253 unemployed)
#27. Crittenden County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,108 people (857 unemployed)
#26. Little River County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,193 people (226 unemployed)
#25. Van Buren County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.0 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,875 people (256 unemployed)
#24. Cleburne County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,883 people (392 unemployed)
#23. Newton County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,201 people (145 unemployed)
#22. Drew County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,287 people (335 unemployed)
#21. Lincoln County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,581 people (170 unemployed)
#20. Polk County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,642 people (360 unemployed)
#19. Clark County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,416 people (399 unemployed)
#18. Searcy County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,812 people (136 unemployed)
#17. Stone County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,422 people (214 unemployed)
#16. Jefferson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,031 people (1,189 unemployed)
#15. Jackson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,262 people (259 unemployed)
#14. Marion County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.8 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,869 people (289 unemployed)
#13. Mississippi County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 16,823 people (818 unemployed)
#12. Izard County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,378 people (223 unemployed)
#11. Union County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.1%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,700 people (744 unemployed)
#10. Montgomery County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.9 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,825 people (147 unemployed)
#9. Lee County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,476 people (130 unemployed)
#8. Lafayette County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,143 people (115 unemployed)
#7. Clay County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,252 people (286 unemployed)
#6. Desha County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,847 people (265 unemployed)
#5. St. Francis County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.5%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,356 people (403 unemployed)
#4. Johnson County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.6%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.9 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,792 people (549 unemployed)
#3. Ashley County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.0%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.8 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,349 people (382 unemployed)
#2. Chicot County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 1.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,765 people (172 unemployed)
#1. Phillips County
- February unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,066 people (326 unemployed)
This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
