December 2024 | Released January 28, 2025

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United States Employment Snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 7, rose in 25, and remained unchanged in 19.

• The highest unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in Nevada, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.1 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 43 states and fell in 7. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.2 percent in Vermont.

Arkansas Employment Snapshot

• In December, Arkansas added 1,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.4 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,600 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 24,600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate fell by 0.3 percentage points from 3.7 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 12th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Arkansas’s private sector added 1,400 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 23,000 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,900 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Arkansas rose by 1,487, and over the past 12 months it rose by 34,626.

• Arkansas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 58.2 percent in December and ranks 45th in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.7 percentage points.

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Arkansas Payroll Employment

• Arkansas added 1,300 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,600 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 12th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Arkansas added 1,400 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent. on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,900 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 223,000 jobs in December, or 0.2 percent. Arkansas is tied for 10th 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 December were Professional and Business Services (1,500) and Leisure and Hospitality (800).

• The poorest performing sectors during the month were Manufacturing (-400) and Education and Health Services (-700).

• The best performing sectors during the last 12 months were Education and Health Services (11,000) and Professional and Business Services (5,400).

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

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 58.2 percent in December.

• Arkansas ranks 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 remained steady at 62.5 percent in December.