SFC’s jobless rate changes little in May

According to statistics from Discover Arkansas, a website maintained by the Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, the unemployment rate for St. Francis County in April was 5%. This number fell to 4.9% in the county in May.

Labor force numbers, as well as the total numbers of employed residents, fluctuated during this period.

Of the state’s 75 counties, St. Francis County has the eighth highest unemployment in May.

The total of employed residents for St. Francis County in April was 7,221 which decreased to 7,153 in May, resulting in the 4.9% jobless rate.

The labor force number for St. Francis County in April was 7,601 which dropped to 7,521 in May, with a total of 368 unemployed residents within the county compared to April, which saw 380 people unemployed.

Lee County, in April, saw a 4.4% unemployment rate which was lower compared to the 4.5% reported in May.

In April, Lee County reported 2,451 residents were working, which fell to 2,337 employed residents in May. The civilian labor force numbers also fell between April and May in Lee County with the reported number in April being 2,564. That number in May was 2,448. The number of unemployed residents saw a decrease in numbers during this time period from 113 in April to 111 in May.

Cross County reported an unemployment rate of 3.3% in April and that number remained the same in May.

In April, the total number of unemployed residents in Cross County was 235 which decreased to 226 in May. The number of employed residents in Cross County was reportedly 6,786 in April, compared to 6,678 in May. The labor force in Cross County was reported at 7,021 in April, which fell to 6,904 in May.