September 2025

Released December 11, 2025

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In September, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 10, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 20.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.2 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In September, payroll jobs rose in 30 states and fell in 20. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.6 percent in Missouri. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Alaska, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Arkansas

Employment snapshot

• In September, Arkansas added 3,900 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.9 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,100 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 21,600 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points from 3.5 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 119,000 in September, or 0.1 percent. Arkansas is tied for 5th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In September, Arkansas’s private sector added 3,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 20,800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,000 net private payroll jobs.

• In September, employment in Arkansas rose by 1,546, and over the past 12 months it rose by 9,049.

• Arkansas’s labor force participation rate rose to 58.5 percent in September from 58.4 percent and ranks 43rd in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.1 percentage points.

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Arkansas

Payroll employment

• Arkansas added 3,900 net payroll jobs, or 0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during September. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,100 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 119,000 in September, or 0.1 percent. Arkansas is tied for 5th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Arkansas added 3,700 private sector jobs, or 0.3 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during September. In the prior month, Arkansas added 2,000 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 97,000 jobs in September, or 0.1 percent. Arkansas is tied for 3rd in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From August 2025 to September 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (+1,300) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,100).
• The worst performing sectors were Information (-200) and Construction (-200).

From September 2024 to September 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+8,900) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+5,600).
• The worst performing sectors were Construction (-2,200) and Federal Government (-600).

Arkansas

Labor force

The labor force participation rate is the percentage of the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 16 and older who are employed or actively looking for work.

• The labor force participation rate in Arkansas rose to 58.5 percent in September from 58.4 percent in the prior month.

• Arkansas ranks 43rd in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas was 58.6 percent in March 2020, and the 10-year low was 56.4 percent in August 2021.

• The national labor force participation rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 62.4 percent in September.