What's the most important thing to find out before you agree to move to a city? Whether you'll be able to find and keep a job there, of course! There's no use giving up a good job selling lead castings to move to a city with uncertain employment prospects, so if you're moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, this page should give you an idea of what to expect now and in the future with regards to employment.
The current unemployment rate in Little Rock (as of October 2009) is 6.1%. This is lower than the combined rate for the state of Arkansas by .8% but trends suggest that the rate is likely to increase in the coming months or years. Unemployment has been rising steadily in the city since 2000, so barring a miraculous discovery in the SR&ED (scientific research and experimental development) front, expect unemployment to go up.
Although, if you do manage to find a job, odds are that you'll not only keep it but you'll be paid well for your trouble, because research by the Brookings Institute suggests that Little Rock has one of the best metropolitan economies in the country, and that it's actually growing. There's little call for rural and industrial trades like machine operations of manure handling anymore, but the economy is diverse enough to accommodate many skills.
Among the fastest growing job sectors are the national boom industries of education and health care. If you don't mind wearing lead xray aprons you could find a job in one of Little Rock's 11 hospitals and health care centers with minimal training (for support positions, about one year in career college). The colleges themselves are also a source of job growth. There are 17 within city limits ranging from major universities like the University of Arkansas to private cosmetology schools.
On the technology and industry front, aviation and biotechnology are the front runners in Little Rock. Aviation grew from $35 million to $441 million in just two years and the industry is expected to expand still further, creating more jobs for engineers as well as assembly technicians with experience operating used woodworking machines. Biotechnology was attracted by the success of aviation and the U Arkansas medical school. Local biotech companies have seen share prices double in the 2000s, so technology, computer, and manufacturing experts with a biotech mind have a future in Little Rock.
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