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News Releases: Employer Costs for Employee Compensation for the Regions — June 2026 County Employment and Wages in Arkansas — First Quarter 2026 Occupational Employment and Wages in Fort Smith — May 2025
Arkansas Economy at a Glance:
Sep
09
Private industry employer costs for employee compensation among the four regions of the country ranged from $41.85 per hour in the South to $54.76 in the Northeast in June 2026.
Sep
04
Employment declined in 2 of the 3 largest counties in Arkansas from March 2025 to March 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Aug
04
Workers in the Fort Smith, AR-OK Metropolitan Statistical Area had an average (mean) hourly wage of $24.18 in May 2025, compared to the nationwide average of $33.54.
| Data Series | Back Data |
Apr 2026 |
May 2026 |
June 2026 |
July 2026 |
Aug 2026 |
Sept 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Civilian Labor Force(1) |
|
1,454.6 | 1,455.7 | 1,457.7 | 1,457.9 | 1,458.0 | (p)1,459.2 |
Employment(1) |
|
1,392.7 | 1,395.2 | 1,398.0 | 1,399.2 | 1,401.1 | (p)1,403.0 |
Unemployment(1) |
|
61.8 | 60.6 | 59.7 | 58.7 | 56.9 | (p)56.2 |
Unemployment Rate(2) |
|
4.3 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | (p)3.9 |
Total Nonfarm(3) |
|
1,344.7 | 1,345.2 | 1,343.2 | 1,343.3 | 1,347.9 | (p)1,350.8 |
12-month % change |
|
0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | (p)0.9 |
Mining and Logging(3) |
|
4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.8 | (p)4.8 |
12-month % change |
|
-4.1 | -2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | (p)0.0 |
Construction(3) |
|
66.2 | 66.5 | 66.9 | 67.5 | 67.6 | (p)67.3 |
12-month % change |
|
-0.6 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | (p)1.8 |
Manufacturing(3) |
|
158.9 | 158.7 | 159.1 | 159.0 | 159.0 | (p)159.2 |
12-month % change |
|
-0.7 | -0.8 | -0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | (p)0.6 |
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities(3) |
|
273.2 | 273.8 | 273.6 | 274.4 | 275.3 | (p)275.7 |
12-month % change |
|
0.7 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | (p)1.4 |
Information(3) |
|
11.9 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.0 | (p)12.1 |
12-month % change |
|
-1.7 | -0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | (p)0.8 |
Financial Activities(3) |
|
59.2 | 58.9 | 58.3 | 58.4 | 58.9 | (p)58.9 |
12-month % change |
|
-1.3 | -2.2 | -2.7 | -2.7 | -1.8 | (p)-1.7 |
Professional & Business Services(3) |
|
166.3 | 167.3 | 167.0 | 166.2 | 166.1 | (p)166.7 |
12-month % change |
|
1.3 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.5 | (p)1.0 |
Education & Health Services(3) |
|
212.7 | 212.2 | 210.2 | 209.8 | 211.4 | (p)212.6 |
12-month % change |
|
1.4 | 1.1 | 0.2 | -0.5 | 0.3 | (p)0.9 |
Leisure & Hospitality(3) |
|
134.6 | 134.4 | 134.3 | 133.9 | 135.6 | (p)136.3 |
12-month % change |
|
2.3 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 2.7 | (p)2.9 |
Other Services(3) |
|
52.6 | 52.2 | 52.2 | 52.4 | 52.5 | (p)52.5 |
12-month % change |
|
-0.2 | -0.8 | -0.8 | -0.6 | -0.9 | (p)-0.6 |
Government(3) |
|
204.4 | 204.6 | 204.8 | 204.8 | 204.7 | (p)204.7 |
12-month % change |
|
-1.0 | -1.0 | -0.6 | -0.6 | -0.8 | (p)-0.3 |
|
Footnotes |
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