Business and industry in North Little Rock find an ample, highly trainable labor force, drawn from throughout the four-county metropolitan area and beyond. The size of the existing civilian labor force in North Little Rock/Little Rock MSA.
- Total Size - 295,975
- Unemployment Number - 11,650
- Unemployment rate for Pulaski County - 3.9%
- Unemployment rate for state of Arkansas - 4.5%
Breakdown of the composition of the existing labor force for Little Rock/North Little Rock MSA is as follows:
- Management - 12.0%
- Professional Specialty - 13.6%
- Technical Support - 3.6%
- Sales - 13.6%
- Administrative/Clerical - 16.9%
- Service - 12.9%
- Precision Production - 10.7%
- Operatives & Assemblers - 6.5%
- Material Handling - 4.1%
- Unskilled - 4.6%
- All Other 1.6%
The prevailing industrial hourly wage rates for Little Rock/North Little Rock MSA are as follows:
Average hourly wage for manufacturing production: $10.47
Average weekly manufacturing hours per worker: 42
- Skilled assembly work (per hour): $9.33
- Unskilled labor: 5.50
- General maintenance workers: 10.30
- Clerk, general (Top): 9.12
- Shipping & receiving clerks: 10.78
- Maintenance electrician: 13.83
- Word processing: 9.06
- Computer programmers (Entry): 12.83
- Secretary I: 7.20
- Secretary II: 10.02
- Secretary III: 11.79
- Telephone Operator/Receptionist: 8.23
- Computer Analyst (Top): 20.99
- Computer Analysis (Entry): 12.83
Normal fringe benefits include unemployment insurance and some health care.
The Arkansas Employment Security Departments (ESD) Job Service Section provides employers with applicants who meet the job criteria established by the employers. Local Employer Advisory Committees (LEACs) have been established to advise ESD local offices on ways to provide effective services. The local offices to and through the LEACs also offer employment-related programs benefiting employers.
ESD uses three general types of tests for measuring aptitude/skills: The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB), the Specific Aptitude Test Battery (SATB) and Proficiency Tests.
The ESD provides a clearance program to serve employers and applicants by locating, selecting, and referring qualified workers who are not available locally. Consequently, employers and job applicants have access to a nationwide network, which provides information regarding job applicants and job openings.
The Arkansas constitution was amended in 1944 to include a right-to-work law, insuring that all residents have the right to work regardless of their affiliation or lack of affiliation with any type of labor organization.
