The state says Arkansas' unemployment rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point in July to 5.6 percent. That's down from 6 percent a year ago.
The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services said Friday that there are 40,300 more Arkansans in the labor force than in July 2014.
In July of this year, seven sectors posted job losses, with the biggest drop coming in government. The agency says government jobs decreased by 12,300 in July, but most of those came from summer break at public schools. Construction added 1,500 jobs while jobs in professional and business services rose 1,300.
The national unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in July.
