Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment
The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Fort Smith rose 0.2 percentage points in October 2023 to 3.5%. 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 April 2020 at 11.0% and is now 7.5 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 2.8% in April 2023, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.7 percentage points. You can also compare Fort Smith unemployment with unemployment in other cities.
| Unemployment Rate | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | 3.9% | +0.1 | +0.2 |
| Arkansas | 3.1% | +0.2 | -0.4 |
| Fort Smith | 3.5% | +0.2 | +0.2 |
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 April 2020 at 12,892. There are now 8,671 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 3,339 in May 2023, the number of unemployed has now grown by 882. Fort Smith employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is also available.
| Unemployed Persons | October 2023 | Month/Month | Year/Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Smith | 4,221 | +227 | +335 |
Number of Unemployed Persons
Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment History
| Date | National Unemployment Rate |
Arkansas Unemployment Rate |
Fort Smith Unemployment Rate |
Fort Smith Unemployed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2023 |
3.7% | — | — | — |
| October 2023 |
3.9% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 4,221 |
| September 2023 |
3.8% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 3,994 |
| August 2023 |
3.8% | 2.7% | 3.1% | 3,730 |
| July 2023 |
3.5% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 3,513 |
| June 2023 |
3.6% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 3,376 |
| May 2023 |
3.7% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 3,339 |
| April 2023 |
3.4% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3,383 |
| March 2023 |
3.5% | 3.0% | 2.9% | 3,452 |
| February 2023 |
3.6% | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3,548 |
| January 2023 |
3.4% | 3.4% | 3.2% | 3,754 |
| December 2022 |
3.5% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3,850 |
1. Metro area unemployment rates are now seasonally adjusted. The BLS has started publishing smoothed seasonally adjusted metropolitan area data which makes comparisons to state and national data more relevant than the unadjusted numbers. ↩
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