Find a Job You Really Want In
At Zippia, we strive to provide valuable insights into the job market across the United States. Today, we take a closer look at the cities in Arkansas that present the most challenges for job seekers in 2026.
After previously exploring the best job opportunities in Arkansas, we shifted our focus to identify the cities that continue to struggle in providing ample employment options.
The analysis of the 100 largest cities in Arkansas revealed the following ten cities that are currently the most difficult places to find a job in the Natural State:
Keep reading to discover how we compiled this list.
For further insights into the Arkansas job market, explore these articles:
Methodology for Identifying Arkansas’s Toughest Job Markets
Our analysis focused on cities with populations exceeding 5,000 to ensure we captured a significant sample size.
This resulted in a review of 100 cities across Arkansas.
We evaluated each city based on various criteria, ranking them from 1 (worst) to 100 (best) for each category.
The final score for each city was determined by averaging their rankings across all criteria, with the lowest overall score designating the “Worst City in Arkansas to Find a Job.”
The criteria considered in this assessment included:
1. Marianna
Population: 4,134
Recent Job Growth: -8.30%
Future Job Growth: 14.00%
2. Dumas
Population: 4,666
Recent Job Growth: -4.97%
Future Job Growth: 20.80%
3. Helena-West Helena
Population: 12,227
Recent Job Growth: -3.87%
Future Job Growth: 23.00%
4. McGehee
Population: 4,185
Recent Job Growth: -4.97%
Future Job Growth: 20.80%
5. Corning
Population: 3,349
Recent Job Growth: -4.18%
Future Job Growth: 22.50%
6. Piggott
Population: 3,818
Recent Job Growth: -4.18%
Future Job Growth: 22.50%
7. Forrest City
Population: 15,245
Recent Job Growth: -1.94%
Future Job Growth: 26.70%
8. Newport
Population: 7,848
Recent Job Growth: -3.78%
Future Job Growth: 23.80%
9. Fordyce
Population: 4,302
Recent Job Growth: -1.51%
Future Job Growth: 28.00%
10. West Memphis
Population: 26,133
Recent Job Growth: -1.15%
Future Job Growth: 26.60%
Conclusion
Based on our analysis, Marianna ranks as the most challenging city for job seekers in Arkansas. While the overall economy is on an upward trajectory, these cities continue to struggle in creating sufficient job opportunities.
We hope these insights help you navigate the Arkansas job market more effectively and find the right opportunities for your career growth.
Detailed List of Arkansas’s Toughest Job Markets
| City | Rank |
|---|---|
| Marianna | 1 |
| Dumas | 2 |
| Helena-West Helena | 3 |
| McGehee | 4 |
| Corning | 5 |
| Piggott | 6 |
| Forrest City | 7 |
| Newport | 8 |
| Fordyce | 9 |
| West Memphis | 10 |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
