Arkansas’ jobless rate edged down to 4.1% in June from 4.2% in May, while the number employed rose by 2,830 and the civilian labor force grew by 1,919.
Record-high employment and labor force levels pushed the state’s labor-force participation rate up to 59.2%; compared with June 2025, Arkansas has 23,603 more employed residents.
Nonfarm payrolls still fell by 5,800 from May, a typical seasonal drop tied largely to summer school breaks, with Government down 5,900 and Private Education and Health Services down 3,000.
Construction added 1,400 jobs and Leisure and Hospitality gained 1,200 in June; over the year, total nonfarm payrolls were up 10,000, led by Leisure and Hospitality and Trade-Transportation-Utilities.
The Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro ranked third among U.S. metro areas for annual nonfarm payroll growth, up 2.9%, while the national unemployment rate also eased to 4.2% in June.