October 2024 | Released November 19, 2024

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In October, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 22, and remained unchanged in 21.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in District of Columbia and Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in October.

• In October, payroll jobs rose in 21 states and fell in 30. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Idaho. The largest payroll job percent decline was 1 percent in Washington.

Arkansas Employment Snapshot

• In October, Arkansas added 2,900 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.3 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas added 1,100 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 21,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points from 3.7 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 12,000 in October, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 14th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In October, Arkansas’s private sector added 2,800 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 20,500 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas added 800 net private payroll jobs.

• In October, employment in Arkansas rose by 3,092, and over the past 12 months it rose by 32,806.

• Arkansas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 58.1 percent in October and is tied for 45th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.5 percentage points.

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Arkansas Payroll Employment

• Arkansas added 2,900 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during October. In the prior month, Arkansas added 1,100 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 12,000 in October, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 14th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Arkansas added 2,800 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during October. In the prior month, Arkansas added 800 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs fell by 28,000 jobs in October, or 0 percent. Arkansas ranks 11th 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 October were Education and Health Services (2,400) and Financial Activities (1,000).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Other Services (-500) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-1,000).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (11,900) and Professional and Business Services (2,900).

• The poorest performing sectors during the last 12 months were Information (-300) and Other Services (-1,400).

Arkansas Labor Force

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 58.1 percent in October.

• 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 0.1 percentage points to 62.6 percent in October.