LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas’s unemployment rate in April remained at 4.4 percent even as the national rate increased one-tenth of a percent to 6.1 percent, according to labor force data the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services issued today. The data was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“Our stable unemployment rate assures me that we are steadily moving in the right direction after more than a year of COVID-19,” Governor Asa Hutchinson said today. “Before the pandemic, our economy was strong. We’ve encountered many challenges over the past 15 months, but we have persevered and fought our way back from the 10 percent rate a year ago.

“The highlight of the report is that more Arkansans are finding jobs and returning to the workforce. I am particularly pleased with the employment gains in the hospitality industry, and I am hopeful the next month will show even more Arkansans returning to work.

“The fight is not over, but as we continue to do everything within our power to overcome COVID-19, our perseverance is producing signs of great progress in our economy but more importantly, in a return to our daily life.”