Howard among counties with lowest unemployment rate

Howard and Hempstead counties are in the top ten of Arkansas counties for having the lowest unemployment rates. The latest numbers available, released this week for December, show Hempstead County had a monthly unemployment rate of 3.2 percent in December. Howard County was ranked 9th lowest in the state, at 3.3 percent.
Among the other area counties, Pike and Sevier, and Little River counties each had a December rate of 4.4 percent, ranking them 45th in the state.
Statewide, Arkansas reported a December unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, which is two and a half percent better than the nation’s figure.
No Arkansas county had unemployment numbers of 10 percent or more in December. Madison County was the lowest at 2.8 percent, while Chicot County had the highest number, at 8.4 percent.