AR Unemployment Drops to 7.4 Percent

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas' unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 7.4 percent last month, thanks to a slowdown in the number of layoffs.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services says the state's civilian labor force increase by 7,900 in November. The national unemployment rate also dropped two-tenths of a percentage point to 10 percent.

The largest growth in Arkansas jobs last month came in trade, transportation and utilities, which gained 3,000 jobs. The agency says most of the increase is due to retail trade, which added 2,100 jobs for the holiday shopping season.