Unemployment Rate Comparison
Income

Arkansas vs North Carolina: Unemployment Rate

North Carolina has a lower unemployment rate than Arkansas.

Arkansas flag
Arkansas
AR • South
4.2%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).
North Carolina flag
North Carolina
NC • South
Winner
3.9%
Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

Visual Comparison

Arkansas 4.2%
North Carolina 3.9%

Difference: 0.30 percentage points — North Carolina leads.

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for unemployment rate.

Arkansas #26 · 4.2%
North Carolina #24 · 3.9%
Best Worst

10 Best States — Unemployment Rate

Lower is better
#1 Hawaii flag Hawaii
2.2%
#2 South Dakota flag South Dakota
2.2%
#3 North Dakota flag North Dakota
2.6%
#4 Vermont flag Vermont
2.6%
#5 Alabama flag Alabama
2.7%
#6 Nebraska flag Nebraska
3.0%
#7 New Hampshire flag New Hampshire
3.1%
#8 Wisconsin flag Wisconsin
3.1%
#9 Maine flag Maine
3.2%
#10 Mississippi flag Mississippi
3.4%
Selected states
#26 Arkansas flag Arkansas
4.2%
#24 North Carolina flag North Carolina
3.9%

Arkansas ranks 26th and North Carolina ranks 24th nationally for unemployment rate.

Related Context

Jobs Picture

Unemployment is one signal — the employment ratio and job growth round out the full picture.

Metric
Arkansas
North Carolina
Employment / Pop. Ratio
56.1%
59.5%
Job Growth
1.1%
1.6%
Median Household Income
$52,123
$63,947
Poverty Rate
15.7%
12.8%

What This Means

Arkansas vs North Carolina: Unemployment Rate in context

North Carolina has a unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared with 4.2% in Arkansas. Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (BLS, December 2025).

Arkansas
4.2%
North Carolina
3.9%
Difference
0.30 percentage points

People Also Ask

Arkansas vs North Carolina Unemployment Rate — Common Questions

Q What is Arkansas's unemployment rate?

Arkansas's unemployment rate is 4.2%.

Q What is North Carolina's unemployment rate?

North Carolina's unemployment rate is 3.9%.

Q Which state has a lower unemployment rate — Arkansas or North Carolina?

North Carolina has a lower unemployment rate than Arkansas.

More Comparisons: Arkansas vs North Carolina

Grouped tabs keep the deep-dive links tighter and easier to scan.

Median Income Regional Price Parity Purchasing Power of $100 Poverty Rate Employment/Population Ratio Job Growth
Full Comparison

Explore Each State

Arkansas flag Arkansas Symbols North Carolina flag North Carolina Symbols Compare Other States

Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.