Unemployment rates in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri continued to edge upward in July, according to the latest reports from the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services and the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center.
In Baxter County, the unemployment rate rose from 4.5% in June to 4.6% in July, with 820 residents out of work from a labor force of 17,674. The county's rate is tied for the 26th lowest among Arkansas’ 75 counties.
Marion County saw its rate climb from 6% to 6.3%, tying for the sixth-highest rate in the state. Out of a workforce of 5,448, 342 residents were unemployed in July. Similarly, Izard County reported one of the highest unemployment rates in the state at 6.4%, up from 6.2% the previous month, with 261 unemployed out of a 4,086-person workforce.
In Fulton County, the jobless rate rose to 5.6% in July, up from 5.5%, putting it in a tie for the 55th-lowest rate in Arkansas. The county has a labor force of 4,102, with 228 people unemployed. Stone County mirrored this increase, moving to 5.6%, also tying for 55th, with 232 residents unemployed out of a workforce of 4,162.
Searcy County documented a slightly larger hike, with unemployment increasing from 4.2% to 4.7%. Of the county’s 3,200-person labor force, 151 residents are without jobs. Meanwhile, Boone County saw a modest increase, with its rate moving from 4.4% to 4.5%, ranking it 25th-lowest in the state. The county has 731 unemployed individuals out of a workforce of 16,175.
Newton County's unemployment rate also ticked up, rising from 4.9% in June to 5.3% in July. It is tied for the 51st-lowest rate in Arkansas, with 140 unemployed residents out of 2,635 in the labor force.
Statewide, Arkansas reported a slight overall decrease in unemployment, with the state rate slipping from 4.1% in June to 4% in July, even as some counties experienced localized increases.
Across the border in southern Missouri, unemployment rates trended higher as well. Ozark County's rate rose from 5.4% in June to 5.9% in July, with 189 unemployed out of a 3,205-person workforce. Douglas County saw its rate increase from 4.1% to 4.3%, reflecting 209 unemployed workers in a labor force of 4,858. Howell County experienced a similar trend, with its rate climbing from 4.6% to 5%, amounting to 814 unemployed individuals out of a workforce of 16,325.
Taney County maintained one of the region’s lower rates but still saw a slight uptick, moving from 3.9% to 4.1%. With a labor force of 29,513, the county recorded 1,199 unemployed residents.
Missouri’s statewide unemployment rate increased from 3.7% to 3.9% in July, reflecting similar trends seen in the multi-county region. Nationally, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.4% over the same time period.