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STATE JOBLESS RATE FALLS TO 4.5 PERCENT

Saturday, August 16, 2008 10:40 PM CDT

ARKANSAS NEWS BUREAU

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ unemployment rate fell one-half of a percentage point in July to 4.5 percent, labor statistics released Friday showed.

The national unemployment rate rose two-tenths of a percentage point to 5.7 percent last month.

The state’s civilian labor force declined by 600 since June, according to the Department of Workforce Services. Since June, the number of employed in the state rose by 6,000

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while the number of unemployed fell by 6,600.

Since July 2007, there are 20,900 more employed Arkansas residents and 12,900 fewer unemployed residents.

Government jobs fell the most since June, down by 12,500 positions. Officials attributed the decline to summer employment patterns at public educational facilities. Educational and health services employment fell by 1,100 jobs because of the same seasonal pattern, the report said.

Seasonal patterns also explained the 1,000 job loss in the leisure and hospitality sector and the 1,100 job loss in the trade, transportation and utilities sector, the department said.

Since July 2007, government jobs have grown the most, up by 4,100 positions. Educational and health services jobs grew by 3,400, as did professional and business services jobs. Leisure and hospitality jobs grew by 1,800, according to the department.

Employment in manufacturing decreased by 6,400 over the past year, as companies continued layoffs and closures around the state, the department said.

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