August 2025

Released September 19, 2025

Download the full PDF for Arkansas

Download the summary PDF for Arkansas

United States

Employment snapshot

• In August, among the 50 states and the District of Columbia unemployment fell in 13, rose in 12, and remained unchanged in 26.

• The highest unemployment rate was 6 percent in District of Columbia, and the lowest was 1.9 percent in South Dakota. Nationally, the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 4.3 percent.

• In August, payroll jobs rose in 32 states and fell in 18. The largest payroll job percent increase was 0.5 percent in Utah. The largest payroll job percent decline was 0.7 percent in District of Columbia.

Arkansas

Employment snapshot

• In August, Arkansas added 2,500 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage point to 3.8 percent. In the prior month, Arkansas added 4,100 net payroll jobs.

• Over the past 12 months, Arkansas added 18,300 net payroll jobs and the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points from 3.5 percent.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 22,000 in August, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 13th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• In August, Arkansas’s private sector added 2,400 net private payroll jobs, and over the past 12 months it added 17,800 private payroll jobs. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,900 net private payroll jobs.

• In August, employment in Arkansas rose by 1,683, and over the past 12 months it rose by 8,665.

• Arkansas’s labor force participation rate remained steady at 58.4 percent in August and ranks 43rd in the nation. In the past 12 months, the labor force participation rate has risen by 0.1 percentage points.

---

Arkansas

Payroll employment

• Arkansas added 2,500 net payroll jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Arkansas added 4,100 jobs. Arkansas nonfarm payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, nonfarm payrolls rose by 22,000 in August, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 13th in the nation for percentage gain in nonfarm payroll employment over the past 12 months.

• Arkansas added 2,400 private sector jobs, or 0.2 percent, on a seasonally adjusted basis during August. In the prior month, Arkansas added 3,900 jobs. Arkansas private sector payroll employment has increased in 10 of the past 12 months.

• Nationally, private sector payroll jobs rose by 38,000 jobs in August, or 0 percent. Arkansas is tied for 8th in the nation for percentage gain in private sector payroll employment over the past 12 months.

From July 2025 to August 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+1,400) and Financial Activities (+800).
• The worst performing sectors were Professional and Business Services (-400) and Federal Government (-100).

From August 2024 to August 2025:

• The best performing sectors were Private Education and Health Services (+9,100) and Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+4,000).
• The worst performing sectors were Construction (-2,000) and Federal Government (-700).

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 remained unchanged at 58.4 percent in August.

• 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 62.3 percent in August.