Hempstead County Unemployment Rate Better than Region, State & Nation

HOPE – Hempstead County’s unemployment rate is outperforming the region, state, and nation. Steve Harris, president of the Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation, said the county’s August rate was 6 percent, compared to the state’s 7.4 percent and the national average of 8.4 percent. Harris cited Michael Pakko, Chief Economist at UALR Arkansas Economic Development Institute, who said that Hempstead County unemployment rate is lower than the national and state rates as well as the surrounding counties in Southwest Arkansas.

When asked why he thought the Hempstead County rate was lower, Harris said, “Our large proportion of workforce in essential industries and their ability to control COVID cases. The three largest manufacturing businesses in Hempstead County are doing well; Tyson Foods, Southern Bakeries, and New Millennium.”