Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Fort Smith fell 0.2 percentage points in March 2012 to 7.8%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Arkansas rate. The unemployment rate in Fort Smith peaked in October 2011 at 8.7% and is now 0.9 percentage points lower. You can also compare Fort Smith unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	March 2012	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	8.2%	-0.1	-0.7
Arkansas	7.4%	-0.2	-0.6
Fort Smith	7.8%	-0.2	-0.3

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with March 2012 data as April metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Fort Smith, Arkansas, National

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Fort Smith peaked in October 2009 at 11,497. There are now 1,496 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. Fort Smith employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons	March 2012	Month/Month	Year/Year
Fort Smith	10,001	-301	-991

Number of Unemployed Persons

Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Arkansas Unemployment Rate	Fort Smith Unemployment Rate	Fort Smith Unemployed
April 2012	8.1%	7.2%	—	—
March 2012	8.2%	7.4%	7.8%	10,001
February 2012	8.3%	7.6%	8.0%	10,302
January 2012	8.3%	7.6%	8.0%	10,494
December 2011	8.5%	7.8%	8.3%	10,925
November 2011	8.7%	7.9%	8.5%	11,333
October 2011	8.9%	8.0%	8.7%	11,463
September 2011	9.0%	8.1%	8.5%	11,322
August 2011	9.1%	8.1%	8.3%	10,979
July 2011	9.1%	8.2%	8.1%	10,857
June 2011	9.1%	8.1%	8.0%	10,736
May 2011	9.0%	8.1%	7.9%	10,719
April 2011	9.0%	8.0%	8.1%	10,915