Counties in Arkansas by unemployment rate

Desha County had the highest unemployment rate of 75 counties in August 2025, at 7.5%. Benton County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.7% and the figure for Arkansas was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.5Desha County
Lowest3.3Benton County
Median4.775 counties
Arkansas4.2History

Top 40 counties, August 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Desha CountyDesha County: 7.5 %7.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 7.3 %7.3Izard CountyIzard County: 6.6 %6.6Chicot CountyChicot County: 6.5 %6.5Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6.5 %6.5Lee CountyLee County: 6.4 %6.4Marion CountyMarion County: 6.3 %6.3St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 6.2 %6.2Bradley CountyBradley County: 6.1 %6.1Stone CountyStone County: 6 %6Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 5.9 %5.9Ashley CountyAshley County: 5.8 %5.8Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.7 %5.7Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.7 %5.7Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 5.7 %5.7Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.7 %5.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 5.7 %5.7Nevada CountyNevada County: 5.6 %5.6Union CountyUnion County: 5.6 %5.6Howard CountyHoward County: 5.5 %5.5Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 5.4 %5.4Clark CountyClark County: 5.3 %5.3Columbia CountyColumbia County: 5.3 %5.3Miller CountyMiller County: 5.3 %5.3Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 5.3 %5.3Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 5.3 %5.3Drew CountyDrew County: 5.1 %5.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.1 %5.1Pope CountyPope County: 5.1 %5.1Sharp CountySharp County: 5 %5Cleburne CountyCleburne County: 4.9 %4.9Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.9 %4.9Perry CountyPerry County: 4.9 %4.9Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 4.8 %4.8Newton CountyNewton County: 4.8 %4.8Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 4.7 %4.7Greene CountyGreene County: 4.7 %4.7Hot Spring CountyHot Spring County: 4.7 %4.7Jackson CountyJackson County: 4.7 %4.7Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 4.6 %4.6
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesAugust 2025 (%)Change on August 2024
1Desha County7.5+0.3 pts
2Phillips County7.3+1.5 pts
3Izard County6.6+0.4 pts
4Chicot County6.5+0.3 pts
4Jefferson County6.5+1.2 pts
6Lee County6.4+1 pts
7Marion County6.3+1.1 pts
8St. Francis County6.2+0.5 pts
9Bradley County6.1+1.2 pts
10Stone County6+1 pts
11Crittenden County5.9+1.3 pts
12Ashley County5.8-0.1 pts
13Fulton County5.7+1 pts
13Johnson County5.7+0.2 pts
13Lafayette County5.7+0.8 pts
13Lincoln County5.70 pts
13Monroe County5.7+0.9 pts
18Nevada County5.6+0.4 pts
18Union County5.6+0.2 pts
20Howard County5.5+2.1 pts
21Ouachita County5.4+0.8 pts
22Clark County5.3+0.8 pts
22Columbia County5.3+1 pts
22Miller County5.3+0.7 pts
22Mississippi County5.3+1.1 pts
22Van Buren County5.3+1 pts
27Drew County5.1+0.9 pts
27Montgomery County5.1+0.7 pts
27Pope County5.1+0.6 pts
30Sharp County5+0.7 pts
31Cleburne County4.9+1 pts
31Cleveland County4.9+0.9 pts
31Perry County4.9+1 pts
34Hempstead County4.8+0.9 pts
34Newton County4.8+0.8 pts
36Calhoun County4.7+0.9 pts
36Greene County4.7+0.9 pts
36Hot Spring County4.7+0.7 pts
36Jackson County4.7+0.2 pts
40Arkansas County4.6+1.2 pts
40Baxter County4.6+0.7 pts
42Conway County4.5+1 pts
42Crawford County4.5+0.7 pts
42Franklin County4.5+0.8 pts
42Polk County4.5+0.1 pts
42Pulaski County4.5+0.8 pts
42Yell County4.5+0.9 pts
48Lawrence County4.4+0.7 pts
48Logan County4.4+0.6 pts
48Pike County4.4+0.8 pts
51Boone County4.3+0.8 pts
51Clay County4.3+0.9 pts
51Cross County4.3+0.7 pts
51Dallas County4.3+0.4 pts
51Garland County4.3+0.6 pts
51Little River County4.3+0.5 pts
51Poinsett County4.3+0.6 pts
58Searcy County4.2+0.3 pts
58Sebastian County4.2+0.7 pts
58White County4.2+0.4 pts
61Craighead County4.1+0.8 pts
61Prairie County4.1+1.1 pts
61Randolph County4.1+0.3 pts
64Carroll County4+0.4 pts
64Scott County4+0.8 pts
66Faulkner County3.9+0.7 pts
66Independence County3.9+0.2 pts
68Grant County3.7+0.6 pts
68Lonoke County3.7+0.6 pts
70Woodruff County3.6+0.2 pts
71Madison County3.5+0.4 pts
71Saline County3.5+0.6 pts
71Sevier County3.5+0.5 pts
71Washington County3.5+0.6 pts
75Benton County3.3+0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Desha County, with 7.5% in August 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Benton County, with 3.3% in August 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Arkansas: more rankings