Hempstead, Nevada County Showing Slight Uptick in Unemployment

Several southwest Arkansas counties have shown a slight uptick in unemployment numbers for December 2024.

Hempstead County’s unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent for December, up from 3.5 percent in November.

Lafayette County’s unemployment rate is at 5.1 percent for December, up from 4.8 percent in November.

Miller County’s unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent for December, up from 3.4 percent in November.

Nevada County’s unemployment rate is at 3.7 percent for December, up from 3.5 percent in November.

Ouachita County’s unemployment rate is at 3.9 percent for December, up from 3.7 percent in November.

Columbia County’s unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) is at 3.8 percent for December 2024, up from 3.7 percent for November 2024, according to a preliminary county by county report released February 5, 2025, by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services.

The Arkansas unemployment rate for December was 3.4%. That compares to a national unemployment rate of 4.1%.