Find a Job You Really Want In
Anticipating a job hunt in 2020?
If so, you might be nervous about the state of your local job market or curious how it stacks up to rival cities. Cities in the same state can have dramatically different job markets. Job hunting in one part of the state can be a piece of cake, while in another city it can be a herculean task to just land an interview.
Here at Zippia, we love math (and jobs!), so we delved into the data to determine where in 2020 it was easiest to find a job in Arkansas.
Here are the ten hottest job markets in Arkansas.
The 10 Hottest Job Markets In Arkansas
There you have it, folks- the ten cities where it was easiest to get a job in Arkansas. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of how we reached these results. Your city not in the top 10? Keep scrolling to see where it landed on the full list.
How we determined the best job markets in Arkansas
We used the most recent Census American Community Survey to pull data for the main Arkansas metro areas. We only looked at cities with a working civilian population above 5,000.
While unemployment rate can tell you a lot about the local job market, it is simply one metric and job markets are complex entities. We opted to take a more in-depth look at the best job market in Arkansas.
Each metro-area was ranked 1-to-31 in four categories:
- Unemployment Rate
- Change In Unemployment Rate
- Household Income Change
- Current Average Household Income
The lower the score in each category the better. For example, the Centerton area had the lowest unemployment rate at 2.2%, earning it the #1 spot for unemployment rate. The four ranked categories were then averaged together to produce our final list. The final list ranks the 31 metro areas from 1-to-31. Once again, the lower the score, the stronger the job market.
1. Centerton
Unemployment Rate: 2.18%
Average Income: $82,872
2. Maumelle
Unemployment Rate: 4.26%
Average Income: $105,102
3. Bryant
Unemployment Rate: 3.02%
Average Income: $78,819
4. Bella Vista
Unemployment Rate: 3.17%
Average Income: $82,816
5. Conway
Unemployment Rate: 3.96%
Average Income: $68,429
6. Rogers
Unemployment Rate: 2.67%
Average Income: $90,709
7. Bentonville
Unemployment Rate: 2.54%
Average Income: $107,938
8. Benton
Unemployment Rate: 3.54%
Average Income: $73,213
9. Sherwood
Unemployment Rate: 3.81%
Average Income: $72,554
10. El Dorado
Unemployment Rate: 8.94%
Average Income: $58,811
MEASURING THE BEST JOB MARKETS In Arkansas
You might be reading this and thinking, ‘Hey, I live in Centerton and have been unemployed for months- this can’t be right!’ That’s entirely possible.
While Centerton and the surrounding metro area have the hottest job market in Arkansas, personal finances can be, well, personal. Education, work experience, and occupation all play a big role in securing a job. However, overall, job seekers in Centerton will have an easier time than those in cities near the bottom of the list.
Detailed List Of The Hottest Job Markets In Arkansas
| Rank | Place | Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Centerton | 2.18% |
| 2 | Maumelle | 4.26% |
| 3 | Bryant | 3.02% |
| 4 | Bella Vista | 3.17% |
| 5 | Conway | 3.96% |
| 6 | Rogers | 2.67% |
| 7 | Bentonville | 2.54% |
| 8 | Benton | 3.54% |
| 9 | Sherwood | 3.81% |
| 10 | El Dorado | 8.94% |
| 11 | Springdale | 4.7% |
| 12 | Van Buren | 6.78% |
| 13 | Cabot | 3.64% |
| 14 | Little Rock | 4.35% |
| 15 | Marion | 7.59% |
| 16 | Fort Smith | 4.97% |
| 17 | Siloam Springs | 4.07% |
| 18 | Paragould | 5.68% |
| 19 | Mountain Home | 2.36% |
| 20 | Texarkana | 8.97% |
| 21 | Fayetteville | 4.26% |
| 22 | Jacksonville | 6.36% |
| 23 | Searcy | 5.73% |
| 24 | Harrison | 4.69% |
| 25 | Jonesboro | 5.95% |
| 26 | Hot Springs | 9.0% |
| 27 | West Memphis | 10.93% |
| 28 | North Little Rock | 7.44% |
| 29 | Russellville | 7.93% |
| 30 | Blytheville | 10.19% |
| 31 | Pine Bluff | 13.01% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
