The Hot Springs metro posted an April jobless rate of 15.3%, the highest rate among the eight metro areas in or connected to Arkansas.

The April numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show the first full month of COVID-19 disruption on the state economy. The number of unemployed in the central Arkansas metro was 37,385 in April, up 279.7% from the 9,846 in April 2019, and up 128.9% from the 16,331 unemployed in March. The region’s jobless rate was 10.9% in April, well above the 2.7% in April 2019.

Northwest Arkansas had 21,397 unemployed in April, up 254.6% from the 6,035 in April 2019 and up 118% from March. The region’s jobless rate was 8%, up from 2.2% in April 2019. The Fort Smith metro had 13,603 unemployed in April up 280.6% from the 3,574 in April 2019, and up 164.2% from the 5,149 in March. The region’s jobless rate was 11.9%, up from 3% in April 2019.

All metro areas in or connected to Arkansas posted jobless rate increases in April, with year-over-year increases in the jobless rate ranging from 15.3% in Hot Springs to 8% in Northwest Arkansas.

University of Arkansas Little Rock economist Michael Pakko said in March the April numbers would show the first “full impact” of COVID-19 on the state economy. Pakko said the April numbers show the metro areas took more of a hit than the rest of the state. The BLS reported May 22 that Arkansas’ jobless rate rose to 10.2% in April compared with 3.5% in April 2019. Arkansans without jobs in April totaled 133,962, up 178% from the 48,175 in April 2019 and well above the 69,728 unemployed in March. The state’s tourism sector had 33.7% fewer jobs year-over-year, the largest drop of any sector.

“With all metro areas recording percentage declines as large or larger than the Arkansas total, a clear implication is the non-metro areas of the state generally experienced smaller declines,” Pakko said of the metro jobless report for April.

NATIONAL NUMBERS
Unemployment rates were higher in April than a year earlier in all 389 metropolitan areas, according to the BLS report. 52 areas had jobless rates of less than 10% and 12 areas had rates of at least 25%. Nonfarm payroll employment decreased over the year in 377 metropolitan areas and was essentially unchanged in 12 areas. The national unemployment rate in April was 14.4%, not seasonally adjusted, up from 3.3% a year earlier.

Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, Hawaii, had the highest unemployment rate in April ad 35%, followed by Kokomo, Ind., at 34.1%. Logan, Utah-Idaho, had the lowest unemployment rate at 6.2%.

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