Counties with the highest unemployment in Arkansas

2024 ended on a high note, with the unemployment rate relatively unchanged at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Jan. 10.

Unemployment rates were higher in November than the prior year in 308 of 389 metro areas, though they dropped in 60 areas and remained unchanged in 21 areas, the BLS reported.

The lion's share of job growth remained in government, social assistance, and health care, with openings in nursing, residential care facilities, and home health care leading employment in the latter sector.

To get a glimpse of regional variations in employment, Stacker compiled a list of counties with the highest unemployment rates in Arkansas, using BLS data. Counties are ranked by their preliminary unemployment rate in November 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.

Key takeaways: Biden's economic legacy, inauguration day, and immigration's impact on jobs

The latest BLS report highlights the final job figures under the Biden administration, giving the outgoing president a win during his final weeks in office. President Biden highlighted the creation of 16.6 million jobs during his term in a Jan. 11 statement.

"Although I inherited the worst economic crisis in decades with unemployment above 6% when I took office, we've had the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years with unemployment at 4.1% as I leave," he said.

Incoming President-elect Donald Trump will inherit a strong economy, with forecasts tracking ongoing growth into 2025. However, uncertainty remains. Trump's proposed tariffs on foreign goods coupled with a sweeping deportation operation may have a significant impact on the economy, accelerating inflation and tamping down job growth, some experts forecast.

"I worry that immigration will be significantly lower than the long-term average of 1.0 million. I worry that tariffs will be universal and lead to a trade war. That would not be good for the economy and earnings," Hugh Johnson, chairman emeritus at Graypoint, told U.S. News.

What does all this mean for middle-class Americans? The unemployment rate is projected to remain stable, only creeping up to 4.3%, according to the Federal Reserve's latest Summary of Economic Projections. Experts suggest paying down mortgages, revisiting investment strategies, and paying attention to taxes before rates possibly shift as Inauguration Day draws close.

The big story: California wildfires still rage

Although Goldman predicts only a "modest drag" on U.S. jobs due to the devastating California wildfires, the situation is still ongoing. Small businesses destroyed by the fires will impact local jobs; in the wake of the fires, a surge in construction and the need for labor and materials might lead to localized shortages and rising costs, impacting several industries.

However, amid political and environmental uncertainty, it's unclear which way the winds will blow. Americans will have to simply wait for the smoke to clear.

To get a better idea of your community's current economy, read on to see the counties with the highest unemployment in Arkansas.

#50. White County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 35,260 people (1,177 unemployed)

#49. Fulton County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,379 people (150 unemployed)

#48. Little River County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,266 people (179 unemployed)

#47. Clay County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,397 people (185 unemployed)

#46. Yell County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,244 people (284 unemployed)

#45. Hot Spring County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 13,704 people (471 unemployed)

#44. Miller County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,932 people (652 unemployed)

#43. Greene County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 19,755 people (679 unemployed)

#42. Garland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 41,619 people (1,412 unemployed)

#41. Nevada County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,209 people (111 unemployed)

#40. Pike County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,933 people (138 unemployed)

#39. Sevier County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,500 people (193 unemployed)

#38. Sharp County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,160 people (215 unemployed)

#37. Polk County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,599 people (266 unemployed)

#36. Hempstead County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,767 people (303 unemployed)

#35. Baxter County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 17,002 people (588 unemployed)

#34. Pope County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 29,049 people (1,012 unemployed)

#33. Dallas County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,640 people (96 unemployed)

#32. Woodruff County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,922 people (104 unemployed)

#31. Conway County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.6%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,113 people (296 unemployed)

#30. Cleveland County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,044 people (114 unemployed)

#29. Marion County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,838 people (214 unemployed)

#28. Columbia County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,050 people (333 unemployed)

#27. Ouachita County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.7%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,759 people (361 unemployed)

#26. Searcy County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,704 people (104 unemployed)

#25. Stone County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,574 people (173 unemployed)

#24. Cross County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.4 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,910 people (266 unemployed)

#23. Cleburne County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,122 people (348 unemployed)

#22. Jackson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,406 people (212 unemployed)

#21. Van Buren County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,009 people (237 unemployed)

#20. Logan County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.3 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,190 people (318 unemployed)

#19. Mississippi County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 3.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.6 percentage points
- Total labor force: 18,945 people (732 unemployed)

#18. Drew County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.0%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Up 0.2 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,665 people (308 unemployed)

#17. Clark County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.1%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 8,998 people (367 unemployed)

#16. Crittenden County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.3%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 20,493 people (879 unemployed)

#15. Montgomery County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.5 percentage points
--- 1-year change: No change
- Total labor force: 2,786 people (123 unemployed)

#14. Lincoln County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 3,651 people (166 unemployed)

#13. Johnson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 9,585 people (436 unemployed)

#12. Jefferson County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.5%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 25,290 people (1,139 unemployed)

#11. Lee County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.7%
--- 1-month change: No change
--- 1-year change: Down 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,458 people (116 unemployed)

#10. Lafayette County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.4 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,234 people (108 unemployed)

#9. Izard County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.8%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.7 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,875 people (234 unemployed)

#8. Bradley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 4.9%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.6 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.0 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,100 people (199 unemployed)

#7. Monroe County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.0%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,379 people (118 unemployed)

#6. St. Francis County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.2%
--- 1-month change: Down 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 7,437 people (384 unemployed)

#5. Union County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.3%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.5 percentage points
- Total labor force: 14,728 people (774 unemployed)

#4. Desha County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 1.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 4,665 people (254 unemployed)

#3. Ashley County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.1 percentage points
- Total labor force: 6,600 people (358 unemployed)

#2. Phillips County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 5.7%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.2 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Down 0.3 percentage points
- Total labor force: 5,030 people (287 unemployed)

#1. Chicot County

- November unemployment rate (preliminary): 6.4%
--- 1-month change: Up 0.1 percentage points
--- 1-year change: Up 0.7 percentage points
- Total labor force: 2,757 people (177 unemployed)

This story features data reporting by Elena Cox, writing by Alizah Salario, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.