In May, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 17, and remained unchanged in 21.
The highest unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in North Dakota and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4 percent.
In May, payroll jobs rose in 42 states and fell in 9. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.9 percent in Idaho. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Minnesota.
In May, Arkansas lost 3,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.4 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,000 net payroll jobs.
Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 16,200 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points from 2.9 percent.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 272,000 in May, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 34th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
In May, Arkansas’s private sector lost 3,500 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 13,500 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,000 net private payroll jobs.
In May, employment in Arkansas rose by 3,406, and over the past 12 months it rose by 8,502.
Arkansas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 57.5 percent in May and is tied for 45th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has remained unchanged.
Arkansas lost 3,300 net payroll jobs, or -0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,000 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 272,000 in May, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 34th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.
Arkansas lost 3,500 private sector jobs, or -0.3 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during May. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,000 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 7 of the past 12 months.
Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 229,000 jobs in May, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 30th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.
The best performing sectors on a seasonally adjusted basis during May were Manufacturing (400) and Government (200).
The poorest performing sectors during the month were Education and Health Services (-1,000) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,500).
The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (6,600) and Construction (4,600).
The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Information (-400) and Manufacturing (-1,800).
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 labor force participation rate in Arkansas remained unchanged at 57.5 percent in May.
Arkansas is tied for 45th in the nation.
The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas was 58.5 percent occurring in March 2020, and the 10-year low was 56.4 percent occurring in September 2021.
The national labor force participation rate fell by 0.2 percentage points to 62.5 percent in May.