Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Fort Smith fell 0.5 percentage points in May 2020 to 11.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 2.4 percentage points higher than the Arkansas rate. The unemployment rate in Fort Smith peaked in April 2020 at 12.4% and is now 0.5 percentage points lower. You can also compare Fort Smith unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate	May 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
National	13.3%	-1.4	+9.7
Arkansas	9.5%	-1.3	+6.0
Fort Smith	11.9%	-0.5	+8.3

Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.¹ All comparisons are made with May 2020 data as June 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 April 2020 at 14,309. There are now 136 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	May 2020	Month/Month	Year/Year
Fort Smith	14,173	-136	+9,913

Number of Unemployed Persons

Fort Smith, Arkansas Unemployment History

Date	National Unemployment Rate	Arkansas Unemployment Rate	Fort Smith Unemployment Rate	Fort Smith Unemployed
June 2020	11.1%	—	—	—
May 2020	13.3%	9.5%	11.9%	14,173
April 2020	14.7%	10.8%	12.4%	14,309
March 2020	4.4%	5.0%	4.6%	5,448
February 2020	3.5%	3.5%	3.5%	4,220
January 2020	3.6%	3.5%	3.6%	4,311
December 2019	3.5%	3.5%	3.6%	4,317
November 2019	3.5%	3.5%	3.7%	4,348
October 2019	3.6%	3.5%	3.7%	4,371
September 2019	3.5%	3.6%	3.7%	4,389
August 2019	3.7%	3.6%	3.7%	4,388
July 2019	3.7%	3.6%	3.7%	4,357