Department of Numbers

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas Unemployment

The BLS reported that the unemployment rate for Little Rock fell 0.0 percentage points in February 2021 to 4.9%. For the same month, the metro unemployment rate was 0.4 percentage points higher than the Arkansas rate. The unemployment rate in Little Rock peaked in April 2020 at 11.2% and is now 6.3 percentage points lower. From a post peak low of 4.5% in December 2020, the unemployment rate has now grown by 0.4 percentage points. You can also compare Little Rock unemployment with unemployment in other cities.

Unemployment Rate February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
National 6.2% -0.1 +2.7
Arkansas 4.5% -0.1 +0.7
Little Rock 4.9% 0.0 +1.7
Note: Metro level data is now seasonally adjusted.1 All comparisons are made with February 2021 data as March metro level unemployment data has not yet been released.

Unemployment Rate: Little Rock, Arkansas, National

Little Rock, Arkansas monthly unemployment rate chart

Note: Recessions shown in gray.

Little Rock, Arkansas Unemployed

The number of people unemployed in Little Rock peaked in April 2020 at 38,622. There are now 21,129 fewer people unemployed in the metropolitan area. From a recent trough of 15,859 in December 2020, the number of unemployed has now grown by 1,634. Little Rock employment and jobs data (including jobs lost/gained in Little Rock, Arkansas) is also available.

Unemployed Persons February 2021 Month/Month Year/Year
Little Rock 17,493 +43 +5,857

Number of Unemployed Persons

Little Rock, Arkansas Unemployment History

Date National
Unemployment Rate		 Arkansas
Unemployment Rate		 Little Rock
Unemployment Rate		 Little Rock
Unemployed
March
2021		 6.0% — — —
February
2021		 6.2% 4.5% 4.9% 17,493
January
2021		 6.3% 4.6% 4.9% 17,450
December
2020		 6.7% 4.9% 4.5% 15,859
November
2020		 6.7% 5.3% 6.9% 23,477
October
2020		 6.9% 5.6% 6.9% 23,733
September
2020		 7.8% 5.9% 8.0% 28,087
August
2020		 8.4% 6.5% 8.4% 29,633
July
2020		 10.2% 7.1% 8.1% 27,534
June
2020		 11.1% 7.8% 8.9% 30,662
May
2020		 13.3% 8.5% 10.3% 36,478
April
2020		 14.8% 10.0% 11.2% 38,622

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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