January 25, 2022
Summary
Arkansas added 1,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point to 3.1 percent in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released at 10:00am on January 25, 2022.
Over the past twelve months, Arkansas added 26,300 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 1.8 percentage points from 4.9 percent.
In December, Arkansas’s private sector added 1,400 net private payroll jobs and over the past twelve months it added 28,300 private payroll jobs in the establishment survey.
In the household survey, the number of unemployed fell by 3,750 on net in December, and over the past year employment fell by 1,643.
Arkansas’s labor force participation rate fell to 56.9 percent in December from 57 percent. Since last year, the labor force participation rate fell by 1.4 percentage points.
The national unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage point in December to 3.9 percent. State employment and unemployment data for January is scheduled for release March 14, 2022. The national employment situation report for January will be released February 04, 2022.
Arkansas Payroll Employment
Arkansas added 1,200 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Arkansas added 5,200 jobs. Over the past twelve months, Arkansas added 26,300 payroll jobs, or 2.1 percent. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment had increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 199,000 in December, or rose by 0.1 percent. Over the 12-month period ending with December, nonfarm payrolls rose by 6,448,000 jobs, or 4.5 percent. Arkansas is tied for 46th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
During December, Arkansas’s private-sector added 1,400 jobs, or approximately 0.1 percent. The private-sector in Arkansas added 4,800 jobs in the prior month. Over the past twelve months, private-sector payrolls in Arkansas added 28,300, or 2.7 percent. Arkansas private-sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private-sector payroll jobs rose by 211,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Over the past 12 months, the national payroll rose by 5,996,000 jobs in the private sector, or 5 percent. Arkansas is tied for 40th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia for a percentage gain in private-sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during December were Leisure and Hospitality (1,200) and Manufacturing (700). The poorest performing sectors during the month were Other Services (-500) and Education and Health Services (-900).
The best performing sectors during the last twelve months were Professional and Business Services (8,600) and Manufacturing (5,800). The poorest performing sectors during the last twelve months were Construction (-1,900) and Government (-2,000).
Arkansas Labor Force Statistics
Labor Force Participation
The labor force participation rate in Arkansas fell to 56.9 percent in December from 57 percent in the prior month. At a labor force participation rate of 56.9 percent, Arkansas ranks 48th in the nation. The labor force participation rate in Arkansas fell by 1.4 percentage points from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas was 60.3 percent in December 2011. The series high for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas last occurred in January 1995 when the labor force participation rate hit 64.2 percent. The 10-year low for the labor force participation rate was 56.2 percent in November 2020. This also represents the series low for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas.
The national labor force participation rate remained steady at 61.9 percent in December. That rate rose by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national labor force participation rate was 67.3 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national labor force participation rate was 63.8 percent in October 2012. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 60.2 percent. The series low for the national labor force participation rate was 58.1 percent in December 1954.
Employment-to-Population Ratio
The employment-to-population ratio, or the percentage of the Arkansas civilian noninstitutionalized population 16 years and older counted as employed, in December rose to 55.1 from 55 percent in the prior month. At 55.1 percent, Arkansas ranks 45th among state employment-to-population ratios in the nation. The employment-to-population ratio in Arkansas fell by 0.4 percentage point from a year earlier.
The 10-year high for the employment-to-population ratio in Arkansas was 56.3 percent last occurring in December 2019. The series high for the employment-to-population ratio in Arkansas occurred in January 1995 when the employment-to-population ratio hit 61.1 percent. The 10-year low for the employment-to-population ratio was 52.4 percent in April 2020. This also represents the series low for the employment-to-population ratio in Arkansas.
The national employment-to-population ratio rose by 0.2 percentage point over the month to 59.5 percent in December. That rate rose by 2.1 percentage points from a year earlier. The all-time high for the national employment-to-population rato was 64.7 percent in April 2000. The 10-year high for the national employment-to-population ratio was 61.2 percent in February 2020. The recent 10-year low occurred in April 2020 at a level of 51.3 percent. The series low for the employment-to-population ratio was 51.3 percent in April 2020.