LITTLE ROCK – Governor Asa Hutchinson released the following statement on the March unemployment rate declining to 4.4 percent, which is significantly below the national average.

“The decline in the unemployment rate is another encouraging sign that we are emerging from the pandemic, and Arkansans have increasing opportunities to return to good-paying jobs. We do need to increase the numbers in the workforce, and the pandemic has reduced the number of Arkansans available to work. Hopefully, this is short term because hundreds of employers need workers each day.”