December 2025

Released January 27, 2026

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United States

Employment snapshot

• In December, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 8, rose in 21, and remained unchanged in 22.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 2.2 percent in Hawaii and South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate fell by 0.1 percentage point to 4.4 percent.

• In December, payroll jobs rose in 23 states and fell in 27. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.4 percent in Delaware and Montana. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.3 percent in Kansas and Nebraska.

Arkansas

Employment snapshot

• In December, Arkansas added 1,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.2 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas lost 500 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 15,700 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.6 percentage points from 3.6 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In December, Arkansas’s private sector added 1,700 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 16,200 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas lost 300 net private payroll jobs.

• In December, employment in Arkansas rose by 3,541, and over the past 12 months it rose by 16,467.

• Arkansas’s labor force participation rate rose to 59 percent in December from 58.8 percent and ranks 43rd in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.7 percentage points.

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Arkansas

Payroll employment

• Arkansas added 1,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Arkansas lost 500 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 50,000 in December, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 7th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Arkansas added 1,700 private sector jobs, or 0.1 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during December. In the prior month, Arkansas lost 300 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 9 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 37,000 jobs in December, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 5th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From November 2025 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+1,100) and Leisure and Hospitality (+800).
• The worst performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (-300) and Other Services (-100).

From December 2024 to December 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Leisure and Hospitality (+6,100) and Private Education and Health Services (+6,000).
• The worst performing sectors were Construction (-2,300) and Federal Government (-1,600).

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 59 percent in December from 58.8 percent in the prior month.

• Arkansas ranks 43rd in the nation.

• The 10-year high for the labor force participation rate in Arkansas was 59 percent in December 2025, and the 10-year low was 56.4 percent in August 2021.

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