Counties in Arkansas by unemployment rate

Phillips County had the highest unemployment rate of 75 counties in September 2025, at 7%. Benton County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.6% and the figure for Arkansas was 4.2%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Lowest3.3Benton County
Median4.675 counties
Arkansas4.2History

Top 40 counties, September 2025

CSVChart (SVG)

Phillips CountyPhillips County: 7 %7Desha CountyDesha County: 6.8 %6.8Chicot CountyChicot County: 6.3 %6.3Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6.3 %6.3Izard CountyIzard County: 6.2 %6.2Marion CountyMarion County: 6.2 %6.2Bradley CountyBradley County: 5.9 %5.9Lee CountyLee County: 5.9 %5.9St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 5.9 %5.9Nevada CountyNevada County: 5.8 %5.8Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 5.7 %5.7Monroe CountyMonroe County: 5.7 %5.7Stone CountyStone County: 5.7 %5.7Ashley CountyAshley County: 5.6 %5.6Howard CountyHoward County: 5.5 %5.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.5 %5.5Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.4 %5.4Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.3 %5.3Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 5.3 %5.3Union CountyUnion County: 5.2 %5.2Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 5.2 %5.2Columbia CountyColumbia County: 5.1 %5.1Miller CountyMiller County: 5.1 %5.1Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.1 %5.1Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 5.1 %5.1Cleburne CountyCleburne County: 4.9 %4.9Drew CountyDrew County: 4.9 %4.9Newton CountyNewton County: 4.8 %4.8Pope CountyPope County: 4.8 %4.8Clark CountyClark County: 4.7 %4.7Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.7 %4.7Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 4.7 %4.7Perry CountyPerry County: 4.7 %4.7Sharp CountySharp County: 4.7 %4.7Baxter CountyBaxter County: 4.6 %4.6Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 4.6 %4.6Hot Spring CountyHot Spring County: 4.6 %4.6Jackson CountyJackson County: 4.6 %4.6Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 4.5 %4.5Greene CountyGreene County: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesSeptember 2025 (%)Change on September 2024
1Phillips County7+1.6 pts
2Desha County6.8+0.3 pts
3Chicot County6.3+0.5 pts
3Jefferson County6.3+1.6 pts
5Izard County6.2+0.8 pts
5Marion County6.2+1.7 pts
7Bradley County5.9+1.4 pts
7Lee County5.9+0.8 pts
7St. Francis County5.9+0.7 pts
10Nevada County5.8+1 pts
11Crittenden County5.7+1.4 pts
11Monroe County5.7+1.1 pts
11Stone County5.7+1.4 pts
14Ashley County5.6-0.1 pts
15Howard County5.5+2.6 pts
15Lincoln County5.5+0.5 pts
17Fulton County5.4+1.6 pts
18Johnson County5.3+0.5 pts
18Lafayette County5.3+0.6 pts
20Union County5.2+0.1 pts
20Van Buren County5.2+1.4 pts
22Columbia County5.1+1.3 pts
22Miller County5.1+0.9 pts
22Montgomery County5.1+1 pts
22Ouachita County5.1+1 pts
26Cleburne County4.9+1.5 pts
26Drew County4.9+1 pts
28Newton County4.8+1.3 pts
28Pope County4.8+0.9 pts
30Clark County4.7+0.9 pts
30Cleveland County4.7+1.1 pts
30Mississippi County4.7+1.2 pts
30Perry County4.7+1.2 pts
30Sharp County4.7+1.1 pts
35Baxter County4.6+1 pts
35Hempstead County4.6+1.1 pts
35Hot Spring County4.6+0.9 pts
35Jackson County4.6+0.7 pts
39Arkansas County4.5+1.3 pts
39Greene County4.5+1.1 pts
39Polk County4.5+0.6 pts
42Calhoun County4.4+1.2 pts
42Clay County4.4+1.3 pts
42Crawford County4.4+1 pts
42Garland County4.4+1 pts
42Logan County4.4+0.9 pts
47Conway County4.3+1.2 pts
47Franklin County4.3+1.2 pts
47Lawrence County4.3+1.1 pts
47Little River County4.3+0.9 pts
47Pike County4.3+1.1 pts
47Poinsett County4.3+1 pts
47Pulaski County4.3+1 pts
47Searcy County4.3+1 pts
55Cross County4.2+0.8 pts
55White County4.2+0.8 pts
57Boone County4.1+1 pts
57Carroll County4.1+0.9 pts
57Dallas County4.1+0.6 pts
57Randolph County4.1+0.7 pts
57Sebastian County4.1+1 pts
57Yell County4.1+1.1 pts
63Craighead County4+1 pts
63Scott County4+1.3 pts
65Prairie County3.9+1.3 pts
66Faulkner County3.8+1 pts
66Independence County3.8+0.9 pts
66Woodruff County3.8+0.6 pts
69Lonoke County3.7+1.1 pts
70Sevier County3.6+1 pts
71Grant County3.5+0.9 pts
71Madison County3.5+0.6 pts
71Saline County3.5+0.9 pts
71Washington County3.5+0.9 pts
75Benton County3.3+0.7 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?

Phillips County, with 7% in September 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Benton County, with 3.3% in September 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