Counties in Arkansas by unemployment rate

Desha County had the highest unemployment rate of 75 counties in March 2026, at 7.5%. Washington County had the lowest, at 3.3%. The median was 4.5% and the figure for Arkansas was 4.3%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest7.5Desha County
Median4.575 counties
Arkansas4.3History

Top 40 counties, March 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Desha CountyDesha County: 7.5 %7.5Phillips CountyPhillips County: 7.3 %7.3Chicot CountyChicot County: 7.2 %7.2Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 6.4 %6.4Lee CountyLee County: 6.2 %6.2Marion CountyMarion County: 6.1 %6.1Monroe CountyMonroe County: 6 %6Nevada CountyNevada County: 6 %6Ashley CountyAshley County: 5.8 %5.8Izard CountyIzard County: 5.8 %5.8Stone CountyStone County: 5.8 %5.8Bradley CountyBradley County: 5.6 %5.6St. Francis CountySt. Francis County: 5.6 %5.6Crittenden CountyCrittenden County: 5.5 %5.5Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 5.5 %5.5Montgomery CountyMontgomery County: 5.4 %5.4Van Buren CountyVan Buren County: 5.3 %5.3Arkansas CountyArkansas County: 5.2 %5.2Fulton CountyFulton County: 5.2 %5.2Howard CountyHoward County: 5.2 %5.2Johnson CountyJohnson County: 5.2 %5.2Union CountyUnion County: 5.1 %5.1Cleburne CountyCleburne County: 4.9 %4.9Lafayette CountyLafayette County: 4.9 %4.9Miller CountyMiller County: 4.9 %4.9Newton CountyNewton County: 4.9 %4.9Drew CountyDrew County: 4.8 %4.8Ouachita CountyOuachita County: 4.8 %4.8Cleveland CountyCleveland County: 4.7 %4.7Columbia CountyColumbia County: 4.7 %4.7Mississippi CountyMississippi County: 4.7 %4.7Polk CountyPolk County: 4.7 %4.7Dallas CountyDallas County: 4.6 %4.6Greene CountyGreene County: 4.6 %4.6Hot Spring CountyHot Spring County: 4.6 %4.6Little River CountyLittle River County: 4.6 %4.6Pope CountyPope County: 4.6 %4.6Baxter CountyBaxter County: 4.5 %4.5Conway CountyConway County: 4.5 %4.5Hempstead CountyHempstead County: 4.5 %4.5
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesMarch 2026 (%)Change on March 2025
1Desha County7.5+0.5 pts
2Phillips County7.3+0.7 pts
3Chicot County7.2+1.1 pts
4Jefferson County6.4+0.9 pts
5Lee County6.2+0.3 pts
6Marion County6.1+0.3 pts
7Monroe County6+0.8 pts
7Nevada County6+1 pts
9Ashley County5.8-0.5 pts
9Izard County5.8+0.2 pts
9Stone County5.8+0.6 pts
12Bradley County5.6-0.9 pts
12St. Francis County5.6+0.2 pts
14Crittenden County5.5+0.3 pts
14Lincoln County5.5-0.1 pts
16Montgomery County5.4+1 pts
17Van Buren County5.3+0.2 pts
18Arkansas County5.2+0.5 pts
18Fulton County5.2+0.4 pts
18Howard County5.2+1 pts
18Johnson County5.2+0.3 pts
22Union County5.1-0.1 pts
23Cleburne County4.9+0.5 pts
23Lafayette County4.9-0.8 pts
23Miller County4.9+0.3 pts
23Newton County4.9+0.2 pts
27Drew County4.8+0.1 pts
27Ouachita County4.80 pts
29Cleveland County4.7+0.5 pts
29Columbia County4.7+0.6 pts
29Mississippi County4.7+0.6 pts
29Polk County4.7+0.6 pts
33Dallas County4.6+0.7 pts
33Greene County4.6+0.5 pts
33Hot Spring County4.6+0.6 pts
33Little River County4.6+0.7 pts
33Pope County4.6+0.3 pts
38Baxter County4.5+0.4 pts
38Conway County4.5+0.5 pts
38Hempstead County4.5+0.6 pts
38Perry County4.5+0.1 pts
38Searcy County4.5+0.2 pts
38Sharp County4.5+0.3 pts
44Garland County4.4+0.5 pts
44Pike County4.4+0.5 pts
44Prairie County4.4+0.6 pts
44Pulaski County4.4+0.5 pts
48Clay County4.3+0.3 pts
48Crawford County4.3+0.4 pts
48Cross County4.3+0.1 pts
48Franklin County4.3+0.3 pts
48Logan County4.3-0.1 pts
48Poinsett County4.3+0.3 pts
54Carroll County4.2+0.2 pts
54Clark County4.20 pts
54Jackson County4.2-0.4 pts
54Scott County4.2+0.6 pts
58Calhoun County4.1+0.1 pts
58Sebastian County4.1+0.4 pts
58White County4.1+0.2 pts
61Yell County4+0.6 pts
62Boone County3.9+0.2 pts
62Lawrence County3.9+0.1 pts
62Randolph County3.9+0.2 pts
65Craighead County3.80 pts
65Lonoke County3.8+0.5 pts
65Woodruff County3.8+0.1 pts
68Faulkner County3.7+0.3 pts
69Grant County3.6+0.3 pts
70Independence County3.5+0.1 pts
70Saline County3.5+0.3 pts
72Madison County3.40 pts
72Sevier County3.4+0.2 pts
74Benton County3.3+0.2 pts
74Washington County3.3+0.2 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 March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Washington County, with 3.3% in March 2026.

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