Arkansas job openings, new hire numbers decline in February – Talk Business & Politics

Arkansas job openings in February fell more than 20%, well above the national decline of 11.1%, and the state’s new hire tally declined 7.8%, according to Wednesday’s (April 17) report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Job openings in the state were an estimated 75,000 in February, 23.5% below the 98,000 in February 2023. U.S. job openings were 8.756 million, down 11.1% compared with 9,849 million in February 2023.

Arkansas new hires were an estimated 59,000 in February, down 7.8% compared with 64,000 in February 2023. U.S. job openings fell 4% in February. The BLS February report is preliminary and subject to revision.

The state has begun 2024 with two consecutive declines in job openings and new hires. In January, Arkansas job openings fell 30% and new hire numbers were down 14.2%.

Arkansas layoffs and discharges were an estimated 17,000 in February, down 30.8% from the 14,000 in February 2023. The U.S. figure was down 9.7%.

The largest decreases in the job openings between January and February occurred in Oregon (-28,000), Ohio (-24,000), and Maryland (-18,000). The largest increases occurred in Arizona (+37,000), Indiana (+18,000), and Hawaii (+6,000). Arkansas had a 1,000 job openings increase between January and February.

The largest increases in the hires level occurred in Florida (+56,000), Tennessee (+35,000), and Ohio (+32,000). The decreases occurred in New York (-34,000), Pennsylvania (-31,000), and South Carolina (-16,000). Arkansas had a 2,000 new hires increase between January and February.

The largest increases in layoffs and discharges occurred in Texas (+57,000), Minnesota (+38,000), and Tennessee (+22,000). The largest decrease occurred in New Jersey (-19,000). Arkansas had an increase of 3,000 layoffs and discharge between January and February.

A more than 24% year-over-year increase in Arkansans without jobs and slower pace of job growth helped pushed the state’s February jobless rate to 3.6%, up from 2.9% in February 2023. The February rate was below the January rate of 3.7%. The number of employed in Arkansas during February was an estimated 1,335,661, up 6,481 jobs, or 0.5%, compared with February 2023, and above the 1,334,556 in January.

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