LEVERAGE

Leverage
Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area
Utilizing WIOA in central Arkansas

LEVERAGE
Prepared by:
Central Arkansas Planning and Development District

Lev·er·age |lev-(Ə-)rij| - noun:
power effectiveness <organizing . . . To gain greater professional, economic,
and political ~ - Change>

TABLE OF CONTENTS
i │ Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area: LEVERAGE
Table of Contents.................................................................................... i
Introduction............................................................................................1
Call to Action ..........................................................................................2
Economic Base .......................................................................................3
Demographics............................................................................4
Our Workforce.........................................................................10
In-Demand Industries ..........................................................................19
Manufacturing .........................................................................24
Construction.............................................................................28
Education .................................................................................31
Health Care ..............................................................................34
Transportation & Logistics ......................................................37
Business Services.....................................................................40
Retail & Services ......................................................................44
Program Completions & Labor Force Gaps ........................................46
Pulaski Technical Institute Completions.................................47
University of Arkansas at Little Rock ......................................49
University of Central Arkansas................................................53
Education & Training Providers...........................................................58
Manufacturing.........................................................................58
Construction ............................................................................59
Education .................................................................................61
Health Care ..............................................................................62
Transportation & Logistics ......................................................65
Business Services.....................................................................65
Retail & Services ......................................................................67
Employers by Sectors...........................................................................69

FIGURES & TABLES
ii │ Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area: LEVERAGE
Table 1: Personal Income Per Capita
Table 2: Population
Table 3: Age Distribution
Table 4: Education Attainment
Table 5: Personal Current Transfer Receipts (thousands of dollars)
Table 6: Personal Income (thousands of dollars)
Table 7: % as Transfer Receipts
Table 8: Labor Force - Faulkner County
Table 9: Labor Force - Lonoke County
Table 10: Labor Force - Monroe County
Table 11: Labor Force - Prairie County
Table 12: Labor Force - Pulaski County
Table 13: Labor Force - Saline County
Table 14: Area Profile by County
Table 15: Home to Work Commute by County
Table 16: Inflow/Outflow by County
Table 17: Where Workers are employed by County of Residents
Table 18: Largest In-demand Industries
Table 19: Occupations by In-demand Industries
Table 20: Manufacturing – NAICS
Table 21: Construction & General Trade – NAICS
Table 22: Education – NAICS
Table 23: Health Care – NAICS
Table 24: Transportation & Logistics – NAICS
Table 25: Business Services – NAICS
Table 26: Retail & Service- NAICS
Table 27: Pulaski Technical Institute Completions
Table 28: University of Arkansas at Little Rock Completions
Table 29: University of Central Arkansas Completions
Table 30: Manufacturing Training Providers
Table 31: Construction & General Trade Training Providers
Table 32: Education Training Providers
Table 33: Health Care Training Providers
Table 34: Transportation and Logistic Training Providers
Table 35: Business Service Training Providers
Table 36: Retail and Service Training Providers
Table 37: Employment Opportunities by County
Figure 1: Education Attainment
Figure 2: Unemployment Rate
Figure 3: CAWDA Unemployment Rate
tables
figures

WORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT
iii │ Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area: LEVERAGE
“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
(WIOA) is a bipartisan law that has one simple goal:
connecting more Americans to good jobs. Because
better skills lead to better wages, training is needed
for modern jobs. WIOA provides quality
infrastructure and investment in America’s greatest
asset: its people”1
. WIOA recognizes there is no
panacea for improving the American workforce; the
program tailored paths for youth, veterans, adults,
and those with barriers to employment. President
Obama signed the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act into law on July 22, 2014. The law
provides state and local areas the flexibility needed
to collaborate across systems in an effort to better
address the needs of employers and employees
alike. This new alignment of services across systems
such as workforce development, economic
development, and vocational and higher education
allows localities to tailor the delivery of services in
order to serve clients in the most effective and
efficient manner possible. Our nation’s economy has
experienced a great deal of change since the
Workforce Investment Act was enacted in 1998.
Following the recession, nearly every business in the
United States made changes to adapt to the
economic uncertainty that rippled through the
nation. WIOA addresses the need for increased
involvement of the business sector, mandating at
least 51% of the Local Workforce Development
Board be represented by private industry, including
the Board Chair. “Performance Accountability” was
another major change; securing a job for a client is
not good enough, retention of the job is just as
important. Employment retention, under WIA, was
measured in the second and third quarters after exit.
Under WIOA, employment retention is measured in
the fourth quarter, ensuring those who obtain a job
by visiting one of America’s Job Centers, maintain
employment over time. Continued education and
credential obtainment are also measured under
WIOA. While there are many other new
performance and compliance measures within
WIOA, they serve to ensure a simple goal is met:
connect more Americans with good jobs. The Central
Arkansas Workforce Development Area recognizes
the importance of these changes and plans to
leverage said changes to provide innovative
solutions for Central Arkansas’s workforce and
employers.
1
U.S. Department of Labor, “A One-Stop Shop for Better Jobs. June 30,
2016, YouTube.
W I O AWORKFORCE INNOVATION AND OPPORTUNITY ACT

1 │ Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area: LEVERAGE
INTRODUCTION
To support the alignment of workforce investment, education, and economic development systems
in support of a comprehensive, accessible, and high-quality workforce development system in the
United States. WIOA Sec.2(2)
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board (CAWDB) is charged with the
implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
throughout the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area’s service area of
Pulaski, Faulkner, Saline, Lonoke, Monroe and Prairie Counties.
The CAWDB is determined to provide both job seekers and employers with the best
training/education options designed for the best jobs available throughout the area.
To accomplish that goal, the proper analysis of the demographics, job opportunities
and availability of the training/education necessary to qualify for those jobs must
serve as the foundation for CAWDB’s policy decisions. In other words, the CAWDB
needed “LEVERAGE” to accomplish their stated goals.
LEVERAGE is defined as “power effectiveness <organizing…To gain greater
professional, economic, and political ~ - Change>”. The very definition encapsulates
the CAWDB’s stated goal to use the data analysis and conclusions drawn from
LEVERAGE as a catalytic first step to meet the labor force needs of business and
industry and provide every advantage for participants to obtain a higher standard of
living throughout the six county service area.
The goal of this report is to provide a base line of information which can be used for
policy decision making by the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board.
The first objective is to align training programs to the needs of industry for the
benefit for both the jobseeker and employers. Targeted training opportunities will
provide participants with the increased probability of obtaining a good paying job.
The increased labor pipeline will provide businesses with the workforce they need
to operate and grow their companies throughout the region.
The second objective of this report is to build the case for limiting training dollars to
only those training/educational programs which are applicable in the seven industry
sectors identified as “in-demand” through this analysis. The seven industry sectors
which are identified as “in demand industries” through this analysis are:
Manufacturing, Healthcare, Education, Construction/General Trades, Business
Services, Transportation and Logistics, and Retail.
Matching the right job skills for the most available jobs will prove to be the
“innovation” and will generate the “opportunities” in the CAWDB’s policy decisions
for implementation of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act.
Lastly, the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area wants to commend the
Board of Directors for their vision, commitment, and guidance during this process
and moving forward.

CALL TO ACTION
In the past, a large pool of unskilled labor was an attractant for business location
decisions. During that time, industries also made their location decisions based on
the presence of raw materials1
. The skills sets needed to produce these products
were minimal, so an educated workforce was not an important factor for location
decisions. It goes without saying, the global economy has changed since the time of
the industrial revolution, as have the needs of business and industry. The presence
of an unskilled labor force today, removes a community from a site selectors list
almost instantly. Today, businesses rely on a skilled labor force to serve as the
lifeblood of their operations.
The technological revolution of the past thirty years has changed the means by
which businesses operate. These advancement in processes, whether it be
advanced manufacturing practices or computer programming, require an educated
workforce who possess the skill sets which are needed by industry in the region.
The International Economic Development Council’s EDRP publication Shifting
Workforce Development into High Gear states: “To date, Federal workforce
development policy has focused mainly on supply-side strategies, rather than
demand-side approaches. Supply-side approaches develop human capital in order
to provide the labor market with a steady stream of skilled individuals, but do not
take industry’s demand for workers into account. This imbalance has created a pool
of workers who have been trained, yet do not possess the skills employers seek2
.”
The imbalance, referenced by Elizabeth Jacobs above, is currently on-going
throughout the United States and in Central Arkansas. However, the scales can be
changed through data-driven decision making, the involvement of the private
sector, and the alignment of job placement and creation activities.
A chasm between the business community and government supported workforce
development is currently becoming an every growing reality. There is much to gain
by working together to align workforce development with the needs of industries in
the region. How this division came into existence is understandable. Workforce
Development Areas (WDBs), along with educational institutions, view workforce
development as the development and ultimate security (employment) of the
individual3
.
Business, on the other hand, directs its focus on the needs of their specific company
to operate and expand4
. By aligning their training programs with the needs of
industry, the Workforce Development Areas, their participants and the private
sector can benefit greatly.
By accomplishing this goal, the Workforce Development Area increases the
probability of employment for their participants, increases performance in regards
to wages and employment retention, and becomes a contributing partner in the
economic development community. Economic Development Organizations (EDOs)
benefit from a demand-driven talent pipeline in marketing and attraction since it is
a competitive advantage that cannot be duplicated easily. EDOs also benefit in the
retention and expansion of companies. The continued pipeline of workforce, who
possess the occupational skills needed by employers, allows industries to expand
much easier.
The participant who visits one of the five Central Arkansas Workforce Centers has
the most to gain by this new alignment. Regardless of the training program the
participant chooses, they will fall within one of the seven major industry clusters
outlined later in this document. This placement increases the probability of
securing employment within their region at a much higher wage, leading to the
enhancement to their quality of life.
LEVERAGE was written as the first step in the Central Arkansas Workforce
Development Area’s journey to close the gap between workforce and economic
development and toward the tailoring of training programs to explicitly meet the
needs of industry throughout the six county service area. LEVERAGE is by no means
a panacea to resolving the issue which is currently before economic and workforce
development organizations. Rather, it aims to take the important first step toward
the alignment of training programs and the needs of industry in Central Arkansas.
1
International Economic Development Council. 2015. “Shifting Workforce Development into High Gear”. p. 3
2
Ibid. p. 4
3
Ibid. p. 4
4
Ibid. p. 4

Overview
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is designed to require the Local
Workforce Development Board to determine where the best jobs are available,
what skills sets are needed for those jobs and which training/education will best
prepare individuals for those jobs. The first crucial step to identify those jobs, the
skills needed and how best to obtain those skills is to gain an understanding of the
“economic base” of the area to be served.
An economic base analysis is defined by the International Economic Development
Council as “a comprehensive study of a locality’s economy, focusing on the
importance of exports.1
” To begin this process requires an understanding of the
demographic makeup of Central Arkansas. Our purpose is to complete such a
study which shall be utilized by the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board
as it’s foundation for directing WIOA activities throughout the Central Arkansas
Workforce Development Area.
Key Findings: Demographics
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area has averaged an annual
population growth rate of 1.9% from 2006 to 2014. However, such growth has not
been uniform across all Counties of the area. For example, Faulkner County has
experienced a growth rate of 18% during that time frame, while Monroe County has
experienced a 14.3% reduction in population. While there is broad fluctuation of
population growth/decline among the six counties, the region as a whole recorded a
population growth rate of 10% from 2006 to 2014. However, the rapid decrease in
population in Monroe and Prairie County is a red flag worth noting for planning
purposes. Moving forward, the approach for workforce development inside
Faulkner, Pulaski, and Saline County will be drastically different than Monroe and
Prairie County.
In another example, the population decline taking place in Monroe and Prairie
County can be attributed to the migration of individuals toward the primary
employment cores to their west. This movement of people is a direct result of
declining agricultural employment opportunities in those two counties. In contrast,
Lonoke County, which is home to numerous large employers such as Riceland and
Remington Arms, has a growing population.
A similar contrast concerning personal income per capita exists among and between
the six counties. While Faulkner County has the fastest growing population, it has
lower per capita personal income than Prairie County which are $33,350 and
$33,892 respectively. However, it must be noted that College students are factored
into these numbers and Conway, the Faulkner County seat is known as the “City of
Colleges”, houses three four-year collegiate institutions hosting thousands of
students who have a limited income. Clearly, Workforce Development cannot be
effectively accomplished through a “one size fits all” approach.
For the purposes of our analysis, the age range of the primary workforce will be
based on those individuals’ ages 20-64 years old. For the Central Arkansas
Workforce Development region, there are a total of 536,730 individuals within that
age range representing seventy-eight percent (78%) of the total population.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the size of the labor force to be
334,627 with an unemployment rate of 5.7% during 2014 which equates to 18,270
unemployed persons in the Central Arkansas region. What is the status of the
remaining 183,383 within the primary workforce age? To find that answer,
“unemployment” must be defined to insure a proper understanding and use of this
data.
Unemployment is defined as “people who are jobless, actively seeking work, and
available to take a job”. However, an important factor to note is that persons who
have given up on finding employment are not calculated into the unemployment
rate. While there is only one official definition for unemployment according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is pertinent to understand “underemployed” persons
are not counted for the calculation of the unemployment percentage. Despite the
fact that the Arkansas unemployment rate is reaching record level lows, data clearly
indicates there is a need and demand for workforce development services
throughout the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area and thereby the
need to determine the “highest and best” use of the resources available to the
Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board.
1
International Economic Development Council (2011). Introduction to Economic Development.
Washington, DC.
ECONOMIC BASE

Name 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Faulkner, AR 27,585 28,965 29,776 29,729 30,333 31,419 32,391 32,344 33,350
Lonoke, AR 29,030 30,651 31,626 31,637 31,749 32,739 33,908 34,506 34,897
Monroe, AR 24,126 24,905 26,707 26,910 27,985 31,110 33,799 33,972 35,577
Prairie, AR 23,913 25,424 29,017 29,494 28,100 28,309 30,311 34,162 33,892
Pulaski, AR 39,396 42,089 42,746 41,809 41,492 43,719 46,593 45,080 46,349
Saline, AR 29,279 30,833 32,332 32,331 32,543 33,849 34,956 35,196 36,076
Central Arkansas Region 28,888 30,478 32,034 31,985 32,034 33,524 35,326 35,877 36,690
Arkansas 29,479 31,180 32,434 31,629 31,991 33,961 36,291 36,529 37,782
United States 38,144 39,821 41,082 39,376 40,277 42,453 44,266 44,438 46,049
Table 1
Personal Income Per Capita
AREA 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Central Arkansas Region 647,696 656,004 664,882 674,169 690,794 699,047 705,618 711,972 716,632
Pulaski County 373,005 374,992 378,145 381,904 383,600 386,862 389,058 391,536 392,702
Faulkner County 102,331 104,658 107,289 109,386 114,039 116,293 118,529 119,390 120,768
Saline County 92,696 95,391 97,213 99,449 107,631 109,851 111,658 114,185 115,719
Lonoke County 61,940 63,581 65,223 66,677 68,701 69,410 70,087 70,834 71,557
Prairie County 8,876 8,814 8,657 8,582 8,701 8,565 8,446 8,360 8,304
Monroe County 8,848 8,568 8,355 8,171 8,122 8,066 7,840 7,667 7,582
Table 2
Population
DEMOGRAPHICS
Source: United States Census

AREA PULASKI FAULKNER LONOKE MONROE PRAIRE SALINE REGION
Under 5 years 26,731 7,931 4,816 489 455 7,019 47,441
5 to 9 years 25,616 7,740 5,456 433 507 7,410 47,162
10 to 14 years 25,092 7,602 5,461 536 543 7,448 46,682
15 to 19 years 23,816 8,626 4,709 618 583 6,678 45,030
20 to 24 years 26,444 13,612 3,950 403 400 5,350 50,159
25 to 29 years 30,657 8,723 4,710 394 433 6,837 51,754
30 to 34 years 27,500 7,456 4,803 389 416 7,189 47,753
35 to 39 years 25,750 7,458 4,994 428 488 7,499 46,617
40 to 44 years 24,239 6,936 4,767 467 594 7,236 44,239
45 to 49 years 26,701 7,742 5,143 587 675 7,991 48,839
50 to 54 years 27,667 7,028 4,643 662 654 7,332 47,986
55 to 59 years 25,519 5,920 3,860 664 649 6,703 43,315
60 to 64 years 21,108 5,145 3,419 538 601 6,551 37,362
65 to 69 years 14,302 3,757 2,642 456 568 5,488 27,213
70 to 74 years 10,511 2,747 1,939 369 420 4,101 20,087
75 to 79 years 8,263 2,021 1,356 313 311 2,911 15,175
80 to 84 years 6,388 1,515 872 219 213 1,903 11,110
85 years and over 6,444 1,278 816 184 205 1,472 10,399
Median age (years) 36 32 35 44 45 39 38
Table 3
Age Distribution

Figure 1
Education Attainment
DEMOGRAPHICS
Source: QCEW Employees & Non-QCEW Employees - Emsi 2016

EDUCATION LEVEL 2016 POPULATION 2018 POPULATION
2016 % OF
POPULATION
2016 STATE %
POPULATION
2016 NAT. %
POPULATION
Less Than 9th Grade 17,702 17,826 4% 7% 7%
9th Grade to 12th Grade 36,846 37,479 8% 10% 8%
High School Diploma 151,042 154,065 31% 35% 28%
Some College 115,449 117,742 24% 22% 21%
Associate's Degree 28,917 29,120 6% 6% 8%
Bachelor's Degree 86,886 88,505 18% 13% 18%
Graduate Degree and Higher 48,661 49,757 10% 7% 11%
Total 485,503 494,494 100% 100% 100%
Table 4
Education Attainment
Key Findings: Education Attainment
Education Attainment is perhaps one of the most indicative points of data when
analyzing demographic characteristics. In Arkansas, twenty percent (20%) of
Arkansans hold a Bachelorette Degree or higher; however, that attainment rate is
twenty-eight percent (28%) within the six counties of the Central Arkansas WDA.
This higher level of education attainment in the region is driven by both the types of
employment and the large number of educational institutions throughout Pulaski,
Faulkner, and Saline County. While the Lonoke County degree attainment rate is at
twenty percent 20%, Monroe County and Prairie County drop to eleven percent
(11%) and ten percent (10%) respectively.
On another side of the equation, many “in demand” occupations, which will be
addressed later in this report, do not require a collegiate level degree. The
technical training programs available for those occupations such as welding,
plumbing, advanced manufacturing, and truck driving require a High School Diploma
or GED to enroll in such training. The attainment rate for earning a High School
Diploma or GED is thirty-five percent (35%) throughout the state of Arkansas. The
Central Arkansas WDA attainment rate for a High School Diploma is thirty-one
percent (31%) falling four percentage points short of the statewide rate.
We can gain further insight into the core locations where these potential
participants may reside by analyzing High School Diploma attainment on a county by
county basis.
High School Diploma
Prairie County: 45%
Monroe County: 40%
Saline County: 34%
Pulaski County: 29%
Lonoke County: 34%
Faulkner County: 31%

DEMOGRAPHICS
Key Findings: Personal Transfer Receipts
Personal current transfer receipts (PCTRs) are defined as income payments to
persons for which no current services are performed plus net insurance settlement.
PCTRs represent the sum of government social benefits which consist of social
security payments, Government pensions, Military retirement, and both SNAP and
TANF assistance; plus, net current transfer receipts from business. However, PCTRs
are not a measure of welfare assistance, but rather are indicative of the population
of retired individuals throughout the measured area. Throughout the Central
Arkansas WDA, PCTRs represent twenty percent (20%) of personal income. This
rate is three percent (3%) below the state total of twenty-three percent (23%); but
three percent (3%) above the national average of seventeen percent (17%).
Specifically, in the Central Arkansas WDA, Monroe and Prairie County, as a percent
of personal income, hold the highest percent of PCTRs with thirty-two percent
(32%) and twenty-nine percent (29%) respectively. Upon further review, the data
indicates these higher PCTRs percentages in Monroe and Prairie are a result of a
larger population of retired persons; and not a result of higher government
assistance recipients.
Table 5
Personal Current Transfer Receipts (thousands of dollars)
Name 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Faulkner, AR 420,472 456,190 496,827 543,148 628,635 682,871 754,935 777,433 800,113 819,436 894,884
Lonoke, AR 260,941 281,615 312,280 346,664 403,663 440,025 481,000 496,423 506,337 519,157 558,447
Monroe, AR 61,994 66,288 70,635 73,094 78,953 83,726 86,534 86,572 86,050 83,685 86,890
Prairie, AR 55,506 57,425 62,945 67,170 73,419 78,675 83,387 80,569 80,847 79,298 82,754
Pulaski, AR 1,856,323 2,005,652 2,165,272 2,338,826 2,601,387 2,805,035 3,039,515 3,121,817 3,159,931 3,221,760 3,426,777
Saline, AR 458,378 502,211 563,877 628,008 709,929 765,853 831,340 852,602 888,620 922,314 982,173
Region 518,936 561,564 611,973 666,152 749,331 809,364 879,452 902,569 920,316 940,942 1,005,321
Arkansas 14,350,766 15,413,493 16,832,093 18,200,219 20,299,156 22,010,323 23,611,520 24,096,981 24,330,307 24,746,365 26,200,749
United States 1,421,293,000 1,516,700,000 1,614,562,000 1,728,059,000 1,956,544,000 2,147,483,000 2,324,655,000 2,360,430,000 2,366,309,000 2,426,606,000 2,529,139,000
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

Table 6
Personal Income (thousands of dollars)
Name 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Faulkner, AR 2,371,048 2,566,069 2,840,440 3,059,809 3,230,062 3,294,381 3,459,117 3,653,810 3,839,236 3,861,514 4,027,602
Lonoke, AR 1,596,893 1,663,254 1,818,649 1,973,305 2,090,044 2,134,915 2,181,179 2,272,438 2,376,501 2,444,165 2,497,133
Monroe, AR 211,557 210,173 215,904 215,926 225,834 222,978 227,292 250,933 264,981 260,460 269,747
Prairie, AR 227,834 207,627 214,955 227,571 255,526 258,189 244,502 242,468 256,003 285,597 281,437
Pulaski, AR 12,837,680 13,648,076 14,641,534 15,716,315 16,096,770 15,889,502 15,916,407 16,913,050 18,127,329 17,650,308 18,201,484
Saline, AR 2,451,109 2,612,595 2,830,170 3,084,675 3,317,237 3,406,505 3,502,647 3,718,393 3,903,504 4,018,820 4,174,643
Region 3,282,687 3,484,632 3,760,275 4,046,267 4,202,579 4,201,078 4,255,191 4,508,515 4,794,592 4,753,477 4,908,674
Arkansas 73,843,959 77,635,263 83,182,071 88,819,878 93,232,570 91,625,136 93,486,029 99,791,639 107,032,727 108,080,656 112,076,107
United States 10,047,876,000 10,610,320,000 11,381,350,000 11,995,419,000 12,492,705,000 12,079,444,000 12,459,613,000 13,233,436,000 13,904,485,000 14,064,468,000 4,683,147,000
Table 7
% as Transfer Receipts
Name 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Faulkner, AR 17.73% 17.78% 17.49% 17.75% 19.46% 20.73% 21.82% 21.28% 20.84% 21.22% 22.22%
Lonoke, AR 16.34% 16.93% 17.17% 17.57% 19.31% 20.61% 22.05% 21.85% 21.31% 21.24% 22.36%
Monroe, AR 29.30% 31.54% 32.72% 33.85% 34.96% 37.55% 38.07% 34.50% 32.47% 32.13% 32.21%
Prairie, AR 24.36% 27.66% 29.28% 29.52% 28.73% 30.47% 34.10% 33.23% 31.58% 27.77% 29.40%
Pulaski, AR 14.46% 14.70% 14.79% 14.88% 16.16% 17.65% 19.10% 18.46% 17.43% 18.25% 18.83%
Saline, AR 18.70% 19.22% 19.92% 20.36% 21.40% 22.48% 23.73% 22.93% 22.76% 22.95% 23.53%
Region 15.45% 15.81% 16.12% 16.27% 16.46% 17.83% 19.27% 20.67% 20.02% 19.19% 19.79%
Arkansas 19.43% 19.85% 20.24% 20.49% 21.77% 24.02% 25.26% 24.15% 22.73% 22.90% 23.38%
United State 14.21% 14.15% 14.29% 14.19% 14.41% 15.66% 17.78% 18.66% 17.84% 17.02% 17.25%
ECONOMIC BASE

Figure 2
Unemployment Rate
Figure 3
Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area Unemployment Rate
Overview
Understanding the characteristics of the Central Arkansas Workforce is a crucial
component of understanding the economic base of the region. By analyzing labor
force trends, commuting patterns, and specific demographics, one can better
understand the economy of the region as a whole. Pulaski County serves as the
primary employment core for the region, providing the majority of employment for
residents in every county in the Central Arkansas Area. However, many job
opportunities exist in Saline, Faulkner, and Lonoke County as well. The following pages
provide insights to the characteristics of Central Arkansas’s greatest asset, our
workforce.
Key Findings: Labor Force
The “Labor Force” of the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area consists of
334,627 individuals as cited in 2014. The regional unemployment rate for the same
period in 2014 was recorded at 5.7% or a total of 18,270 individuals. During the past
decade, Monroe County recorded the highest unemployment rate across the region,
reaching 9.5% in 2011. In recent years, Monroe County’s unemployment rate has
recovered to 6.8% where it currently stands today. Every County in the region was
affected by the recession, with the majority of the impact being felt in 2011 (as
indicated in Figure 2), three years after the crash of the stock market in 2008.
Source: Bureau Labor Statistics

Table 8
Labor Force - Faulkner County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 47,763 49,854 52,018 53,586 55,212 56,244 56,404 58,711 59,482 59,703 58,638 58,483
Employed 45,147 47,372 49,704 51,235 52,793 53,567 52,485 54,465 55,206 55,745 54,787 55,186
Unemployed 2,616 2,482 2,314 2,351 2,419 2,677 3,919 4,246 4,276 3,958 3,851 3,297
Unemployment Rate 5.5 5.0 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.8 6.9 7.2 7.2 6.6 6.6 5.6
Table 9
Labor Force - Lonoke County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 27,489 29,046 30,788 31,679 31,711 32,460 32,345 33,287 33,448 33,072 32,429 32,432
Employed 26,153 27,684 29,414 30,337 30,328 31,002 30,321 31,036 31,123 30,970 30,427 30,752
Unemployed 1,336 1,362 1,374 1,342 1,383 1,458 2,024 2,251 2,325 2,102 2,002 1,680
Table 10
Labor Force - Monroe County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 3,968 3,826 3,864 3,892 3,897 3,860 3,717 3,413 3,390 3,270 3,087 3,064
Employed 3,668 3,555 3,607 3,613 3,636 3,613 3,415 3,098 3,067 2,973 2,813 2,855
Unemployed 300 271 257 279 261 247 302 315 323 297 274 209

OUR WORKFORCE
Table 11
Labor Force - Prairie County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 4,457 4,362 4,310 4,517 4,436 4,425 4,294 3,967 3,937 3,824 3,761 3,777
Employed 4,221 4,130 4,053 4,263 4,182 4,173 3,956 3,602 3,596 3,535 3,493 3,556
Unemployed 236 232 257 254 254 252 338 365 341 289 268 221
Table 12
Labor Force - Pulaski County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 181,174 185,731 190,594 189,922 191,162 191,923 189,945 189,321 190,083 188,420 184,642 182,788
Employed 171,643 176,064 181,400 180,838 182,117 182,801 177,280 175,512 175,884 175,483 172,446 172,579
Unemployed 9,531 9,667 9,194 9,084 9,045 9,122 12,665 13,809 14,199 12,937 12,196 10,209
Table 13
Labor Force - Saline County
Description 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Labor Force 43,406 45,251 47,337 48,576 49,069 50,037 49,591 53,382 54,212 54,376 54,170 54,083
Employed 41,275 43,152 45,291 46,446 47,019 47,807 46,320 49,824 50,604 51,047 50,996 51,429
Unemployed 2,131 2,099 2,046 2,130 2,050 2,230 3,271 3,558 3,608 3,329 3,174 2,654

ECONOMIC BASE
Key Findings: County Profiles
A review of Table 14 provides a profile of the age ranges of the individuals which
make-up the workforce of the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Region.
Faulkner County’s age 55 and older comprise 17.9% of the workforce. In contrast,
the workforce age 55 and older comprise twenty-four percent (24%) and twenty-
seven percent (27%) respectfully in Monroe and Prairie Counties. The apparent lack
of a younger workers in these two rural counties may be a contributing factor to the
economic decline that is depicted throughout this report. Moving forward,
deployment of workforce development activities within these two counties need to
be tailored around serving those who fall in this age group.
Faulkner County Prairie County
Jobs by Worker Age - 2014 Jobs by Earnings - 2014 Jobs by Worker Age - 2014 Jobs by Earnings - 2014
Count Share Count Share Count Share Count Share
Age 29 or younger 13,100 26.70% $1,250 per month or less 11,990 24.40% Age 29 or younger 687 17.70% $1,250 per month or less 947 24.40%
Age 30 to 54 27,174 55.40% $1,251 to $3,333 per month 17,765 36.20% Age 30 to 54 2,147 55.30% $1,251 to $3,333 per month 1,688 43.50%
Age 55 or older 8,803 17.90% More than $3,333 per month 19,322 39.40% Age 55 or older 1,046 27.00% More than $3,333 per month 1,245 32.10%
Lonoke County Pulaski County
Age 29 or younger 6,610 23.40% $1,250 per month or less 6,601 23.30% Age 29 or younger 38,364 22.80% $1,250 per month or less 42,261 25.10%
Age 55 or older 5,451 19.30% More than $3,333 per month 10,981 38.80% Age 55 or older 37,254 22.10% More than $3,333 per month 63,298 37.60%
Monroe County Saline County
Age 29 or younger 744 23.50% $1,250 per month or less 906 28.60% Age 29 or younger 10,797 22.10% $1,250 per month or less 10,615 21.70%
Age 55 or older 761 24.00% More than $3,333 per month 745 23.50% Age 55 or older 9,871 20.20% More than $3,333 per month 19,930 40.80%
Table 14
Area Profile by County
Source: United States Census, OntheMap

Table 15
Home to Work Commute by County
Faulkner County
Job Counts in Work Blocks by Distance Only
2014
Count Share
Total All Jobs 49,077 100.00%
Less than 10 miles 19,460 39.70%
10 to 24 miles 14,492 29.50%
25 to 50 miles 9,174 18.70%
Greater than 50 miles 5,951 12.10%
Lonoke County
2014
Count Share
10 to 24 miles 14,492 29.50%
25 to 50 miles 9,174 18.70%
Monroe County
2014
Count Share
Less than 10 miles 764 24.10%
10 to 24 miles 552 17.40%
25 to 50 miles 588 18.60%
Prairie County
2014
Count Share
Less than 10 miles 529 13.60%
10 to 24 miles 868 22.40%
25 to 50 miles 1,339 34.50%
Pulaski County
2014
Count Share
Less than 10 miles 111,154 66.00%
10 to 24 miles 35,968 21.40%
25 to 50 miles 6,124 3.60%
Saline County
2014
Count Share
10 to 24 miles 23,990 49.10%
25 to 50 miles 5,593 11.40%

ECONOMIC BASE
Faulkner County Lonoke County Monroe County
Prairie County Pulaski County Saline County
Table 16
Inflow/Outflow By County

Table 17
Where Workers are Employed by County of Residents
Faulkner County
Jobs Counts by Places (Cities, CDPs, etc.)
Where Workers are Employed - All Jobs
2014
Count Share
Conway city, AR 18,251 37.20%
Little Rock city, AR 10,065 20.50%
North Little Rock, AR 2,871 5.80%
Greenbrier city, AR 1,115 2.30%
Maumelle city, AR 892 1.80%
Russellville city, AR 730 1.50%
Searcy city, AR 671 1.40%
Vilonia city, AR 640 1.30%
Mayflower city, AR 572 1.20%
Hot Springs city, AR 529 1.10%
All Other Locations 12,741 26.00%
Lonoke County
2014
Count Share
Cabot city, AR 3,587 12.70%
Jacksonville city, AR 1,650 5.80%
Sherwood city, AR 819 2.90%
Lonoke city, AR 792 2.80%
Conway city, AR 759 2.70%
Beebe city, AR 397 1.40%
England city, AR 367 1.30%
Prairie County
Jobs Counts by Places (Cities, CDPs, etc.) Where
Workers are Employed - All Jobs
2014
Count Share
Little Rock city, AR 515 13.30%
Stuttgart city, AR 444 11.40%
Hazen city, AR 248 6.40%
Des Arc city, AR 227 5.90%
North Little Rock , AR 193 5.00%
Jonesboro city, AR 95 2.40%
Carlisle city, AR 90 2.30%
Cabot city, AR 68 1.80%
Pulaski County
2014
Count Share
Sherwood city, AR 4,540 2.70%
Jacksonville city, AR 3,849 2.30%
Maumelle city, AR 2986 1.80%
Sweet Home CDP, AR 2154 1.30%
Bryant city, AR 1642 1.00%
Benton city, AR 1378 0.80%
Pine Bluff city, AR 1174 0.70%
12.7%
5.2%

Key Findings: Commuting Patterns
The data depicted in Tables 15, 16 and 17 was obtained from the United States Census
Bureau’s online tool “On the Map”. These three tables, when analyzed in concert, can
be used to develop a clear picture of both the commuting patterns and characteristics
of the Central Arkansas workforce by County. Table 15 houses “distance direction”
data, and indicates the distance workers who reside in each County and commute to
work. Table 16 displays the inflow and outflow of the labor force of those individuals
that both live and work within that County. Table 17 identifies, by County of residence,
the number of individuals and the location of their employment.
For example, Faulkner County’s “distance and direction” wheel, found on Table 15,
shows the majority of the labor force who reside within the County travel between 10-
50 miles outside the County in a southward direction to their place of employment.
From this example, it is clear the majority of the labor force that resides within Faulkner
County is employed in a different County. The data provided on Table 17 indicates
that 20.5% of the Faulkner County workforce travels to Little Rock for employment,
which is the reason for the strong “southern pull” depicted on Table 15.
The pattern observed in Faulkner County is consistent across Central Arkansas WDA
with the exception of Pulaski County. The majority of Pulaski County’s workforce both
reside and are employed within the County. As indicated, only 29,620 Pulaski County
residents travel from the County for employment indicating the strength of Pulaski
County as an employment core in the region.
Monroe County
Jobs Counts by Places (Cities, CDPs, etc.) Where
Workers are Employed - All Jobs
2014
Count Share
Brinkley city, AR 586 18.50%
Stuttgart city, AR 336 10.60%
Little Rock city, AR 249 7.90%
Clarendon city, AR 230 7.30%
Jonesboro city, AR 134 4.20%
North Little Rock, AR 106 3.30%
Forrest City city, AR 74 2.30%
Saline County
2014
Count Share
Benton city, AR 5,419 11.10%
Bryant city, AR 3,929 8.00%
Hot Springs city, AR 1060 2.20%
Sherwood city, AR 537 1.10%
Russellville city, AR 448 0.90%
Hot Springs Village AR 446 0.90%
ECONOMIC BASE

In-demand
industries

LARGEST IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES
In-demand Industries
The economic base of the Central Arkansas WDA is composed of a broad array of
industries which can be identified with several predominant industry clusters. An
industry cluster is defined as a geographic concentration of similar firms which may
be composed vertically and/or horizontally. Vertical clusters are composed of
companies that do not compete, such as a manufacturer and its suppliers.
Horizontal clusters are composed of companies which may compete in the market
place with each other. There are seven “in demand” sectors highlighted in Table 19
which includes the largest industries operating within the Central Arkansas
Workforce Development Area. For the purposes of this analysis, several industries
were grouped together and designated as a single cluster. For example, the
designated industries for the “Business Services” cluster includes: Administrative
and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services, Professional, Scientific
and Technical Services, Finance and Insurance, Information, and Management of
Companies and Enterprises.
Occupations by Industries
Each of the seven identified “clusters” are listed on pages 20 and 21 along with a list
of occupations which provide employment opportunities to job seekers within that
industry. The occupations listed, while not all encompassing, are intended to
convey the diversity of career opportunities which are available in the Central
Arkansas WDA. These identified occupations also define the career “ladders” and/
or “paths” which exist within these industries. For example, one may begin their
career in the Health Care industry as a Personal Care Aide, and move on to become
a Certified Nursing Assistant or Registered Nurse. The next step will be needed to
complete this inventory of occupations and will directly survey companies to
identify the exact location of these jobs. In addition, the development of
partnerships with these companies may increase the probability of a participant
obtaining employment upon completion of their chosen training path.
Industry 2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
Change in Jobs
(2016-2018)
% Change
2016 Earnings Per
Worker
Government 76,670 76,911 241 0% $63,543.53
Health Care and Social Assistance 46,543 47,849 1,306 3% $53,684.38
Retail Trade 40,347 40,530 183 0% $32,371.06
Accommodation and Food Services 31,472 32,359 887 3% $17,970.47
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 19,755 19,717 (38) (0%) $35,225.92
Manufacturing 19,278 18,505 (773) (4%) $64,506.67
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 17,233 17,233 0 0% $76,533.05
Finance and Insurance 15,077 15,178 101 1% $85,693.70
Construction 14,853 14,421 (432) (3%) $54,829.68
Other Services (except Public Administration) 14,798 15,045 247 2% $30,810.98
Wholesale Trade 13,858 13,449 (409) (3%) $69,589.83
Transportation and Warehousing 11,890 10,924 (966) (8%) $58,561.95
Educational Services 6,473 6,614 141 2% $38,205.58
Information 6,286 5,784 (502) (8%) $77,590.16
Management of Companies and Enterprises 4,934 4,888 (46) (1%) $82,846.72
Table 18
Largest In-demand Industries

Manufacturing & Export Industries
OCCUPATION 2016 JOBS 2018 JOBS
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
% CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 5,933 5,792 (140) (2%) $10.99
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and
Scientific Products
4,498 4,421 (77) (2%) $24.03
Business Operations Specialists, All Other 2,457 2,461 4 0% $27.41
General and Operations Managers 5,615 5,595 (20) 0% $35.58
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
% CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Construction Laborers 2,227 2,190 (37) (2%) $11.27
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General 3,128 3,133 5 0% $14.85
Electricians 1,611 1,603 (8) (1%) $21.71
Construction & General Trades
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
% CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Teacher Assistants 1,559 1,560 1 0% $9.19
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education 2,427 2,435 8 0% $22.02
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 1,768 1,773 4 0% $23.86
Postsecondary Teachers 4,264 4,304 41 1% $32.78
Education
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
% CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Personal Care Aides 5,031 5,186 155 3% $9.35
Home Health Aides 1,826 1,885 59 3% $10.55
Nursing Assistants 4,537 4,602 65 1% $10.82
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses 2,942 2,960 18 1% $18.21
Registered Nurses 9,196 9,267 71 1% $28.76
Health Care
TARGETED IN DEMAND INDUSTRIES & LARGEST OCCUPATIONS
Table 19
Occupations by In-demand Industries

CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
%
CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Bus Drivers, School or Special Client 1,469 1,476 7 0% $9.52
Light Truck or Delivery Services Drivers 1,705 1,690 (16) (1%) $11.67
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers 5,765 5,607 (159) (3%) $17.77
Transportation / Logistics
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
%
CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Receptionists and Information Clerks 2,133 2,151 18 1% $11.07
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive 6,869 6,851 (17) 0% $14.15
Customer Service Representatives 8,150 8,198 48 1% $14.29
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks 3,634 3,580 (54) (1%) $16.15
Computer User Support Specialists 1,604 1,609 5 0% $20.49
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers 4,989 4,988 (1) 0% $21.10
Management Analysts 1,491 1,502 11 1% $26.40
Accountants and Auditors 2,682 2,693 11 0% $30.38
Computer Systems Analysts 1,564 1,578 14 1% $33.27
Business Services
CHANGE IN JOBS
(2016-2018)
% CHANGE
2014 MEDIAN HOURLY
EARNINGS
Cashiers 8,223 8,224 1 0% $8.85
Cooks, Restaurant 2,661 2,718 58 2% $9.40
Retail Salespersons 11,932 11,965 33 0% $9.72
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers 5,242 5,224 (18) 0% $9.92
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand 5,933 5,792 (140) (2%) $10.99
Tellers 1,479 1,444 (34) (2%) $11.15
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers 3,785 3,788 3 0% $14.87
Retail & Service
LARGEST IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES
Table 19—Continued
Occupations by In-demand Industries

manufacturing
COMPANY JUNE 2015 POSTINGS JULY 2016 POSTINGS AVERAGE
Royal Truck Bodies Inc 264 477 263
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company 387 197 331
Molex Incorporated 318 182 276
Kimberly- Clark Corporation 34 107 74
SYSCO Corporation 134 48 84
Coca- Cola Enterprises Inc. 171 39 108
Tokusen U.S.A., Inc. 100 0 38
LARGEST EMPLOYERS BY JOB POSTINGS

IN-DEMAND INDUSTRIES
Manufacturing
The Central Arkansas WDA, according to EMSI, is home to 339 manufacturing
companies who develop a wide range of products and employ an estimated 16,000
individuals. For example, there are high concentrations of firms throughout the
area in commercial printing, concrete, cabinetry, machine shops, and companies
who build commercial signs. There are also specializations which exist in the region
such as aerospace, ammunitions, electronic connectors, and rice milling. Examples
of high profile companies range from Welspun Pipe located in the Little Rock Port,
Remington Arms located in Lonoke, and Kimberly Clark located in Conway, just to
name a few. While manufacturing has classically been on the decline across the
country, reshoring efforts by organizations such as the Arkansas Economic
Commission and Select USA are working and succeeding at bringing those jobs back
to Arkansas.
For comparison of our area to the national workforce, “Location Quotients” are
calculated to show the percentage of local employment as it relates to national
employment in a given industry. A location quotient of 1.00 indicates the
percentage of local employment for a region is equivalent to that of the national
level. A review of Table 20 indicates that for the Central Arkansas WDA, Small Arms
Ammunition Manufacturing has a 41.84 LQ and Electronic Connector Manufacturing
has a 19.06 LQ. Each of these high rankings is a direct result of the Remington
Arms plant located in Lonoke and the Molex location in Maumelle. An
understanding of the concentration of firms and specializations will be crucial in the
determination of the specific training/educational programs available to participants
in the Central Arkansas region. This understanding coupled with the participant’s
decision of which training program will best meet their needs enhances both the
participant’s training and the labor force needs of businesses.
Most of the identified firms are in need of specifically trained workers and the
Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area can serve as a vital partner for these
organizations, providing the skilled workforce they need to thrive.
or
= Local Employment in Industry i
= Reference Area Employment in Industry i
= Total Local Employment
= Total Reference Area Employment

MANUFACTURING
Table 20
Manufacturing - NAICS
NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018 %
Change
2016 - 2018 %
Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
336411 Aircraft Manufacturing 2.81 1,689 1,507 (182) (11%) $86,625 5
332992 Small Arms Ammunition Manufacturing 41.84 1,095 1,160 65 6% $62,136 2
334417 Electronic Connector Manufacturing 19.06 884 936 52 6% $66,995 2
323111 Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) 0.95 842 653 (189) (22%) $64,130 49
325620 Toilet Preparation Manufacturing 4.20 572 515 (57) (10%) $68,150 2
322291 Sanitary Paper Product Manufacturing 6.61 526 438 (88) (17%) $67,558 3
311615 Poultry Processing 1.02 475 538 63 13% $40,268 1
332312 Fabricated Structural Metal Manufacturing 2.05 463 436 (27) (6%) $59,818 9
333120 Construction Machinery Manufacturing 3.31 436 532 96 22% $75,665 4
332911 Industrial Valve Manufacturing 6.91 424 460 36 8% $60,308 2
322212 Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing 6.44 422 422 0 0% $84,610 3
322211 Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing 1.64 394 341 (53) (13%) $74,078 7
337127 Institutional Furniture Manufacturing 4.80 377 257 (120) (32%) $50,286 3
326122 Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 6.07 347 367 20 6% $60,856 3
312111 Soft Drink Manufacturing 1.86 332 304 (28) (8%) $57,845 1
333318
Other Commercial and Service Industry
Machinery Manufacturing
2.20 327 313 (14) (4%) $76,600 8
332322 Sheet Metal Work Manufacturing 1.08 273 268 (5) (2%) $74,366 9
331222 Steel Wire Drawing 11.15 259 302 43 17% $69,134 1
333611
Turbine and Turbine Generator Set Units
Manufacturing
4.45 259 302 43 17% $66,218 2
327320 Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing 1.19 247 243 (4) (2%) $47,786 25
337110
Wood Kitchen Cabinet and Countertop
Manufacturing
0.67 232 169 (63) (27%) $35,896 24
331221 Rolled Steel Shape Manufacturing 4.98 226 230 4 2% $68,196 2
339950 Sign Manufacturing 1.25 222 207 (15) (7%) $47,650 17
337212
Custom Architectural Woodwork and Millwork
Manufacturing
5.78 216 279 63 29% $58,353 3
333618 Other Engine Equipment Manufacturing 2.36 209 251 42 20% $66,345 1

NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018 %
Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
332311
Prefabricated Metal Building and Component
Manufacturing
3.26 207 213 6 3% $61,347 4
332710 Machine Shops 0.30 204 197 (7) (3%) $45,468 28
311412 Frozen Specialty Food Manufacturing 1.45 193 204 11 6% $72,313 1
334511
Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance,
Aeronautical, and Nautical System and
Instrument Manufacturing
0.69 191 190 (1) (1%) $85,208 3
331315 Aluminum Sheet, Plate, and Foil Manufacturing 5.59 186 214 28 15% $65,394 1
325998
All Other Miscellaneous Chemical Product and
Preparation Manufacturing
1.97 183 168 (15) (8%) $82,833 5
326199 All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing 0.23 173 152 (21) (12%) $58,859 11
323113 Commercial Screen Printing 0.96 166 172 6 4% $32,421 29
333413
Industrial and Commercial Fan and Blower and
Air Purification Equipment Manufacturing
2.50 162 180 18 11% $61,321 2
336211 Motor Vehicle Body Manufacturing 0.56 150 75 (75) (50%) $85,691 3
311911 Roasted Nuts and Peanut Butter Manufacturing 3.94 150 139 (11) (7%) $83,973 2
336360
Motor Vehicle Seating and Interior Trim
Manufacturing
0.85 150 147 (3) (2%) $48,117 2
316998
All Other Leather Good and Allied Product
Manufacturing
7.37 143 153 10 7% $35,444 1
327110
Pottery, Ceramics, and Plumbing Fixture
Manufacturing
4.42 141 146 5 4% $49,076 2
332996 Fabricated Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing 1.62 137 148 11 8% $57,522 3
332119
Metal Crown, Closure, and Other Metal Stamping
(except Automotive)
0.76 136 92 (44) (32%) $47,477 3
333995 Fluid Power Cylinder and Actuator Manufacturing 3.03 132 125 (7) (5%) $77,427 3
326291
Rubber Product Manufacturing for Mechanical
Use
1.12 126 74 (52) (41%) $50,196 2
Table 20 - Continued

MANUFACTURING
NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018 %
Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
331313
Alumina Refining and Primary Aluminum
Production
4.36 125 86 (39) (31%) $79,054 3
321920 Wood Container and Pallet Manufacturing 0.84 123 120 (3) (2%) $28,619 9
321114 Wood Preservation 5.55 119 113 (6) (5%) $57,622 3
325412 Pharmaceutical Preparation Manufacturing 0.28 117 134 17 15% $53,522 2
332994
Small Arms, Ordnance, and Ordnance
Accessories Manufacturing
2.60 116 122 6 5% $65,749 2
327390 Other Concrete Product Manufacturing 0.67 116 84 (32) (28%) $60,959 5
324122
Asphalt Shingle and Coating Materials
Manufacturing
4.65 113 106 (7) (6%) $98,709 2
311212 Rice Milling 9.86 109 112 3 3% $43,343 3
336612 Boat Building 1.32 106 97 (9) (8%) $50,428 7
333514
Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture
Manufacturing
0.67 103 95 (8) (8%) $65,524 5
325510 Paint and Coating Manufacturing 0.92 102 84 (18) (18%) $114,292 2
324121 Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing 3.26 99 106 7 7% $98,119 4
327992
Ground or Treated Mineral and Earth
Manufacturing
5.88 97 104 7 7% $85,815 2

Construction & General Trade
*DATA FOR LARGEST EMPLOYERS BY JOB POSTINGS IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR CONSTRUCTION AND
GENERAL TRADE. DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF MANY OF THESE COMPANIES.

Construction and General Trades
The occupations in the fields of plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and other specialty
contractors provide good jobs with good wages. The average wage for Plumbing,
Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors produce an average wage of $51,841 as
depicted on Table 22. Collectively, there are nearly 15,000 jobs in the Central
Arkansas WDA throughout the construction and general trades sector and roughly
1,670 various businesses who represent this sector. In addition, there are a number
of trades, while not listed on Table 22, related to this sector, such as equipment
operators which are classified under a different NAICS code. Given the perpetual
demand for these jobs, the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area must
educate jobseekers on the career possibilities within this unique sector.
In the past, vocational training was provided in high schools across the country and
career in technical fields such as carpentry, plumbing, and construction were known
for their potential to provide stable careers.
In a time when technology is growing, the demand for these technical fields has not
shrunk, despite the reduction of available avenues to receive such training. High
Schools, such as Cabot and West Memphis, are leading the way in the reintegration
of vocational skills training back into Arkansas schools. The Central Arkansas
Workforce Development Area recognizes the importance of these jobs, which
provide good wages in a much shorter training period when compared to a four year
degree. It’s been said “college isn’t for everyone” and in fact those that chose
vocational paths often have a much easier time obtaining a job at a higher wage than
someone who attended a four year institution.
To promote improvement in the structure of and
delivery of services through the United States workforce
development system to better address the employment
and skills needs of workers, jobseekers, and employers.
WIOA Sec.2(4)

Table 21
Construction & General Trade - NAICS
NAICS Description
2018
Location
Quotient
2016
Jobs
2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current
Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
238220 Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors 1.19 2,941 2,963 22 1% $51,841 276
238210 Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors 0.99 2,121 2,105 (16) (1%) $57,207 196
236220 Commercial and Institutional Building Construction 1.43 2,081 2,048 (33) (2%) $70,301 119
237310 Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction 1.05 828 833 5 1% $55,172 33
237130 Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction 1.53 741 714 (27) (4%) $58,697 40
238990 All Other Specialty Trade Contractors 0.66 543 514 (29) (5%) $42,904 72
238910 Site Preparation Contractors 0.60 494 446 (48) (10%) $45,483 79
238160 Roofing Contractors 1.08 481 512 31 6% $46,030 53
238140 Masonry Contractors 1.26 441 447 6 1% $39,564 43
238290 Other Building Equipment Contractors 1.25 430 427 (3) (1%) $61,828 40
236115 New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) 0.40 368 291 (77) (21%) $48,437 189
236118 Residential Remodelers 0.47 362 384 22 6% $47,983 112
238110 Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors 0.76 357 371 14 4% $50,997 25
238320 Painting and Wall Covering Contractors 0.63 355 305 (50) (14%) $45,894 62
238120 Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors 1.74 342 346 4 1% $70,547 15
237110 Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction 0.75 335 305 (30) (9%) $49,941 35
238310 Drywall and Insulation Contractors 0.45 311 248 (63) (20%) $46,139 41
238150 Glass and Glazing Contractors 1.42 216 219 3 1% $52,024 15
236210 Industrial Building Construction 0.33 190 130 (60) (32%) $62,226 14
238350 Finish Carpentry Contractors 0.51 183 165 (18) (10%) $48,283 50
238170 Siding Contractors 1.26 114 99 (15) (13%) $61,881 19
238390 Other Building Finishing Contractors 0.45 111 87 (24) (22%) $40,614 26
CONSTRUCTION & GENERAL TRADE

education
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 1,316 918 1,199
University of Arkansas at Little Rock 406 566 431
Pulaski Technical College 14 63 57

To increase the prosperity of workers and employers in the United States, the economic growth of
communities, regions, and States, and the global competiveness of the United States. WIOA Sec.2(5)
Education
The development of a person into a high quality employee begins with the
foundations they learn during their years attending elementary, middle school, and
high school. One could argue that a strong workforce starts with Central Arkansas’s
teachers and the staff who support the numerous educational institutions across
the region.
The Arkansas Research Center reported that in 2012, there were 12,517 Educational
Services jobs throughout the Central Arkansas WDA; and now, projects by the year
2022, the Educational Services sector will grow by over thirty percent (30%).
However, the data provided on Table 23 represents a much lower job count for the
education sector in Central Arkansas. While EMSI provides unique insights into the
diversity of educational institutions which are available here in Central Arkansas,
the additional data from the Arkansas Research Center is included to ensure due
consideration is given to the critical role that educational services plays in the
development of the future teachers in Central Arkansas. This additional data is
available and can be viewed here: http://arkansasresearchcenter.org/arc/
index.php?cID=153.
Jobs 2012 Jobs 2022 % Growth
12,517 16,393 30.9%
Arkansas Research Center

EDUCATION
Table 22
Education - NAICS
NAICS Description
2018
Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018 %
Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
611110 Elementary and Secondary Schools 0.93 2,407 2,332 (75) (3%) $38,441 37
611310 Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 0.50 2,154 2,324 170 8% $29,177 14
611210 Junior Colleges 3.10 461 493 32 7% $20,520 4
611620 Sports and Recreation Instruction 1.27 381 377 (4) (1%) $26,125 37
611512 Flight Training 10.37 370 391 21 6% $124,794 6
611610 Fine Arts Schools 0.69 138 147 9 7% $18,307 34
611710 Educational Support Services 0.36 116 121 5 4% $56,420 40
611691 Exam Preparation and Tutoring 0.43 114 96 (18) (16%) $23,408 19
611519 Other Technical and Trade Schools 0.47 72 71 (1) (1%) $39,116 16
611513 Apprenticeship Training 1.80 55 55 0 0% $28,168 8
611420 Computer Training 0.86 31 27 (4) (13%) $104,284 6
611699 All Other Miscellaneous Schools and Instruction 0.17 25 27 2 8% $26,116 6
611430 Professional and Management Development Training 0.11 17 11 (6) (35%) $72,770 9
611692 Automobile Driving Schools 0.36 15 13 (2) (13%) $15,730 4
611410 Business and Secretarial Schools 0.00 0 0 0 0% $0 0
611630 Language Schools 0.00 0 0 0 0% $0 0

Health care
Catholic Health Initiatives 1,663 7,420 3,270
Saline Memorial Hospital Auxiliary 712 1,479 785
Baptist Health 1,061 1,312 1,118
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 1,316 918 1,199
US Department of Veterans Affairs 686 704 659
Arkansas Children's Hospital 242 504 392
Soliant Health, Inc 291 467 353
Supplemental Health Care 173 384 262
Conway Regional Medical Center, Inc. 193 355 520
Universal Health Services, Inc. 243 264 414

NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current
Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
622110 General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 1.03 11,332 11,363 31 0% $58,586 8
621111 Offices of Physicians 1.25 7,518 7,767 249 3% $106,533 729
624120 Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities 1.27 5,186 5,610 424 8% $24,660 1,064
623110 Nursing Care Facilities 1.16 4,413 4,566 153 3% $30,966 59
623130 Child Day Care Services 1.15 2,556 2,441 (115) (4%) $20,943 230
621210 Offices of Dentists 0.86 1,882 1,931 49 3% $60,677 278
621340
Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists,
and Audiologists
1.62 1,356 1,501 145 11% $53,497 141
622310 Specialty Hospitals 2.52 1,397 1,480 83 6% $57,965 7
Health Care
The Health Care sector in the Central Arkansas WDA is comprised of over 3,078
providers which employ over 46,013 individuals with health care facilities
established in the every County throughout the region. The delivery of Health Care
services is arguably the strongest sector in the Central Arkansas region in regards to
specialization. The occupations within the health care industry are as numerous
and diverse as the many different service providers. The robust network of health
care institutions serves as a major asset for Central Arkansas in terms of economic
development. However, these institutions and the continued growth of this sector
is dependent upon a diverse and trained labor force. The Central Arkansas
Workforce Development Area will not only focus on training for employment
opportunities within the major anchor institutions, but also the vast network of
businesses who support them. The vertical connection of the health care cluster in
Central Arkansas is broad and dynamic (buyer-supplier). However, the data
contained in Table 23 is not inclusive of all economic players in this sector as many
companies who provide services to these major institutions fall under different
NAICS code classifications and thereby not accounted for in the following table.
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area began a focused effort to assist
organizations to fill their labor needs for Personal Care Aides and CNAs in early
2016. As this focused effort began, a review of the IPEDS data for UALR on page
49, reflected an “over saturation” of Registered Nurses. Upon initial review of the
data, the “appearance” of an over saturation of Registered Nurses which would
result in difficulty for program completers to find employment. However, the
appearance of an “oversaturation” is due to the numerous Registered Nurse
training programs which exist in the region. Central Arkansas draws many
prospective Registered Nurses from across the State and Nation to receive training
at organizations such as UALR, UAMS, and Baptist Health. Upon graduation, many
of completers drawn from outside the region will not compete for jobs in the
Central Arkansas WDA; and, thereby eliminating the oversaturation possibility and
confirms the numerous job openings for Registered Nurses that are available on any
given day.
Table 23
Health Care - NAICS

NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
624310 Vocational Rehabilitation Services 1.77 1,535 1,435 (100) (7%) $29,389 33
622210 Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals 3.93 1,092 1,145 53 5% $43,921 7
621610 Home Health Care Services 0.32 1,069 1,139 70 7% $45,459 36
623210
Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disabil-
ity Facilities
0.89 816 859 43 5% $24,447 29
623311 Continuing Care Retirement Communities 0.55 571 676 105 18% $28,957 11
624190 Other Individual and Family Services 0.58 675 604 (71) (11%) $43,421 69
623220
Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Facilities
1.10 546 602 56 10% $38,623 22
623312 Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly 0.51 483 530 47 10% $28,106 15
621511 Medical Laboratories 1.07 477 521 44 9% $62,713 52
621320 Offices of Optometrists 1.31 407 435 28 7% $48,100 66
621498 All Other Outpatient Care Centers 0.81 282 307 25 9% $71,956 19
624110 Child and Youth Services 0.61 290 300 10 3% $39,472 28
621310 Offices of Chiropractors 0.93 278 294 16 6% $43,191 70
621493
Freestanding Ambulatory Surgical and Emergency
Centers
0.88 279 293 14 5% $47,903 18
621492 Kidney Dialysis Centers 0.86 245 274 29 12% $54,649 16
621991 Blood and Organ Banks 1.56 282 262 (20) (7%) $43,345 10
621420
Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Centers
0.45 260 242 (18) (7%) $48,376 22
624221 Temporary Shelters 1.25 191 205 14 7% $30,811 12
621910 Ambulance Services 0.43 168 189 21 13% $41,411 12
623990 Other Residential Care Facilities 0.36 188 137 (51) (27%) $31,627 5
624210 Community Food Services 1.41 123 124 1 1% $42,751 10
624230 Emergency and Other Relief Services 2.09 115 122 7 6% $32,189 6
HEALTH CARE
Health Care - NAICS

Transportation & Logistics
Swift Transportation Co., Inc. 994 5,614 2,394
USA Truck, Inc. 2,771 3,171 2,364
Wti Transport, Inc. 409 2,001 649
CRST Van Expedited, Inc. 2,418 1,387 2,485
Marten Transport, Ltd. 553 1,035 534
Hogan Transports 1,357 871 857
Transco Lines, Inc. 397 728 714
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. 304 607 246
Knight Transportation, Inc. 1,127 537 506
Anderson Trucking Service Inc 577 518 424

Transportation & Logistics
The Central Arkansas WDA has been provided a unique competitive advantage in
the transportation sector by the connections of Interstate 30 and Interstate 40 in
Little Rock. This direct link to Dallas and Memphis places Central Arkansas as a
great location for the distribution industry. According to EMSI, there are over 503
businesses employing 11,313 individuals within our region. The location of United
Parcel Service’s (UPS) Worldwide Express Freight Center in Little Rock is a perfect
example. Union Pacific, Maverick, Summit Truck Group, Peterbilt, and AFB Freight
are additional examples of the transportation companies which make up this sector
in and around Little Rock, AR. Truck driving, as an occupation, provides good paying
jobs in the range of $50,000 average per year. However, career paths in this sector
are not just limited to over the road truck driving. Other occupations exist within
various distribution centers such as Dillard’s in Mabelvale and the United States
Postal Service.
On the other hand, a review of the data found on Table 25, it is evident there has
been a drastic decline in employment across nearly every industry within
transportation. These projections can be attributed to a decrease in demand in
“spot markets”. In February of 2016, demand was down 29% according to Dial-A-
Truck (DAT) at the national level. In contrast, farmers in Monroe and Prairie County
are now forced to use trucking to move crops more than ever, because the White
River is no longer navigable for commercial purposes. However, the transportation
industry is expected to return to normal levels over time. Despite the decline in
demand, the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area should continue to
provide training opportunities for this sector, which is one of the top performing
programs in regards to wages and retention. If participants begin to experience
difficulty finding employment in the future, the Central Arkansas Workforce
Development Area will recommend a re-evaluation of the industry by the Board.
For purposes of subtitle A and B of title I, to provide
workforce investment activities, through statewide and
local workforce development systems, that increase the
employment, retention, and earnings of participants, and
increase attainment of recognized postsecondary
credentials by participants, and as a result, improve the
quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency,
increase economic self-sufficiency, meet the skill
requirements of employers, and enhance the productivity
and competitiveness of the Nation. WIOA Sec.2(6)

TRANSPORTATION/LOGISTICS
Table 24
Transportation & Logistics - NAICS
NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current
Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
484121 General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Truckload 2.07 2,538 2,487 (51) (2%) $55,782 113
482110 Rail transportation 2.97 1,576 1,531 (45) (3%) $89,185 0
492110 Couriers and Express Delivery Services 1.08 1,440 1,394 (46) (3%) $49,990 29
484122 General Freight Trucking, Long-Distance, Less Than Truckload 1.89 1,381 1,144 (237) (17%) $71,099 32
493110 General Warehousing and Storage 0.47 1,191 852 (339) (28%) $40,118 25
484220 Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Local 1.05 538 555 17 3% $58,964 79
484230 Specialized Freight (except Used Goods) Trucking, Long-Distance 1.40 471 466 (5) (1%) $92,020 25
485410 School and Employee Bus Transportation 0.69 312 312 0 0% $24,033 9
488190 Other Support Activities for Air Transportation 0.83 290 216 (74) (26%) $61,850 25
491110 Postal Service 16.99 254 268 14 6% $57,572 2
481111 Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation 0.20 227 189 (38) (17%) $42,212 6
484210 Used Household and Office Goods Moving 0.94 223 212 (11) (5%) $30,027 23
484110 General Freight Trucking, Local 0.27 209 159 (50) (24%) $52,882 45
488410 Motor Vehicle Towing 1.58 202 218 16 8% $35,484 29
492210 Local Messengers and Local Delivery 0.97 151 139 (12) (8%) $36,834 26
485320 Limousine Service 1.00 113 102 (11) (10%) $16,469 7
493130 Farm Product Warehousing and Storage 2.99 100 78 (22) (22%) $53,718 7
488510 Freight Transportation Arrangement 0.16 98 82 (16) (16%) $65,124 23

Business services
U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. 768 2,951 1,038
Platinum Supplemental Insurance Inc 235 1,766 1,862
Celadon Group, Inc. 212 1,386 443
Clark Transfer Inc 179 811 267
State Of Arkansas 673 763 680
Outsource Partners International, Inc. 178 708 298
US Customs and Border Protection 355 554 242
Acxiom Corporation 547 499 568
Windstream Communications, Inc. 505 254 385
Hewlett- Packard Company 594 238 229

Business Services
The Business Services sector is one of the largest and most dynamic sectors in the
Central Arkansas WDA with a total of 4,023 companies that employ 47,750
individuals. As depicted on Table 26, the Business Services sector is defined with
five different NAICS codes which represent information technology companies,
administrative support occupations, insurance companies, and other support
industries including commercial pest control. A common linking factor across these
NAICS codes is the need for a workforce with strong management skills. While the
sector is dominated by information technology companies, many of these
employers have occupations which fall outside the realm of computer programing
or information systems.
The largest numbers of occupations listed for the Business Services are customer
service representatives and administrative assistants which account for over 15,000
jobs in 2016. Due to the size of this sector, it is imperative for the Central Arkansas
Workforce Development Area’s Business Service Team to continue and build upon
its work with companies who have internal career ladders for these occupations.
These numbers within this sector clearly supports training for employment with
companies ranging from Hewlett Packard sized down to the small businesses who
support the larger companies locally.
These identified multiple sectors, provides employment opportunities for any
individual regardless of barriers they may face or skill sets they may or may not
possess. In many of these identified occupational paths, soft skills and the ability to
interact on a professional basis are the most important skill set needed for success.
These particular skills may be addressed as part of certain training programs;
however, to ensure this type training is available to our participants an internal
effort may ensure better results. In the coming months, our Business Services Team
will be developing a class to be conducted internally for all WIOA participants. The
purpose of this Workforce Center class will be to provide participants with an
essential set of tools as they begin their path to employment.
To ensure that workforce investment activities meet the
needs of employers and support economic growth in the
region, by enhancing communication, coordination,
and collaboration among employers, economic
development entities, and service providers. WIOA
Sec.107(d)(a)(C)

Table 25
Business Services - NAICS
NAICS Description
2018
Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 -
2018
Change
2016 -
2018 %
Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
551114 Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices 0.89 4,639 4,605 (34) (1%) $81,220 127
541512 Computer Systems Design Services 1.45 3,503 3,475 (28) (1%) $93,484 157
524114 Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers 3.89 3,393 3,708 315 9% $77,207 28
522110 Commercial Banking 1.04 3,155 3,055 (100) (3%) $69,295 304
561422 Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers 2.59 2,911 3,176 265 9% $45,915 21
541110 Offices of Lawyers 1.04 2,559 2,537 (22) (1%) $92,413 576
524210 Insurance Agencies and Brokerages 1.27 2,510 2,529 19 1% $72,425 516
517110 Wired Telecommunications Carriers 1.22 1,791 1,607 (184) (10%) $97,288 48
561730 Landscaping Services 0.90 1,548 1,599 51 3% $32,645 213
541513 Computer Facilities Management Services 9.31 1,507 1,523 16 1% $83,439 9
517210 Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) 4.71 1,469 1,407 (62) (4%) $89,526 20
541330 Engineering Services 0.60 1,358 1,386 28 2% $77,681 163
523110 Investment Banking and Securities Dealing 3.40 1,213 1,155 (58) (5%) $202,422 21
511110 Newspaper Publishers 2.43 930 863 (67) (7%) $47,344 16
541511 Custom Computer Programming Services 0.45 925 979 54 6% $73,252 116
541211 Offices of Certified Public Accountants 0.79 896 879 (17) (2%) $79,353 164
522292 Real Estate Credit 2.13 885 1,021 136 15% $71,148 40
524126 Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers 0.67 817 732 (85) (10%) $75,465 59
541940 Veterinary Services 0.87 742 752 10 1% $37,435 78
541219 Other Accounting Services 1.26 742 765 23 3% $56,594 117
561110 Office Administrative Services 0.65 739 781 42 6% $105,131 144
541611 Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services 0.45 542 595 53 10% $77,182 174
541810 Advertising Agencies 1.03 504 502 (2) (0%) $71,721 63
524113 Direct Life Insurance Carriers 0.87 492 497 5 1% $91,009 18
561710 Exterminating and Pest Control Services 1.75 465 462 (3) (1%) $46,330 39
541310 Architectural Services 0.99 434 419 (15) (3%) $89,890 58

BUSINESS SERVICES
Table 25—Continued
Business Services- NAICS
NAICS Description
2018
Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 -
2018
Change
2016 -
2018 %
Change
Current
Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
522130 Credit Unions 0.72 427 449 22 5% $48,397 37
561990 All Other Support Services 0.84 424 406 (18) (4%) $53,748 36
541620 Environmental Consulting Services 2.17 382 439 57 15% $77,636 29
515120 Television Broadcasting 1.17 372 362 (10) (3%) $75,510 3
518210 Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services 0.44 368 315 (53) (14%) $78,876 37
561621 Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) 1.17 345 338 (7) (2%) $56,503 37
541613 Marketing Consulting Services 0.51 316 295 (21) (7%) $53,368 63
562910 Remediation Services 1.80 315 347 32 10% $52,491 19
561311 Employment Placement Agencies 0.57 304 383 79 26% $42,475 39
523120 Securities Brokerage 0.45 280 291 11 4% $145,715 62
511210 Software Publishers 0.33 274 281 7 3% $94,752 7
524291 Claims Adjusting 1.99 269 268 (1) (0%) $68,887 30
541910 Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling 0.86 263 186 (77) (29%) $57,740 13
541191 Title Abstract and Settlement Offices 1.88 259 261 2 1% $53,786 28
524292 Third Party Administration of Insurance and Pension Funds 0.39 258 175 (83) (32%) $56,627 10
541690 Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services 0.50 238 263 25 11% $78,692 96
524298 All Other Insurance Related Activities 1.28 232 252 20 9% $67,178 31
561410 Document Preparation Services 2.02 229 243 14 6% $35,243 14
562211 Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal 3.08 218 227 9 4% $61,822 3
541380 Testing Laboratories 0.51 204 207 3 1% $53,008 16
541712
Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except
Biotechnology)
0.19 194 211 17 9% $75,667 28
551111 Offices of Bank Holding Companies 5.41 194 185 (9) (5%) $112,971 5
512110 Motion Picture and Video Production 0.34 190 187 (3) (2%) $59,810 23
523920 Portfolio Management 0.39 186 197 11 6% $192,724 42
562111 Solid Waste Collection 0.44 174 156 (18) (10%) $69,845 20
541711 Research and Development in Biotechnology 0.44 165 173 8 5% $44,944 12

Retail & services
The Kroger Co. 322 1,209 615
The Wedding Party LLC 362 1,035 625
The Home Depot, Inc. 334 920 385
PetSmart, Inc. 260 774 252
Dollar General Corporation 748 541 961
Best Buy Co., Inc. 256 525 511
Starbucks Corporation 143 461 240
Uber Baby LLC 274 456 349
Target Corporation 205 388 409
Sears Holdings Corporation 287 353 258

Retail & Services
The Retail and Services sector is one of the strongest ways to measure the health of
a local/regional economy. In the Central Arkansas WDA, the retail and service
industry consists of 1,655 businesses which employs approximately 30,000
individuals and which continues to expand at a rapid pace. The City of Conway is an
excellent example of this type of economic growth in the retail and services sector.
Over the past several years, the retail sector has provided employment
opportunities for many WIOA participants, such as our youth and the elderly
participants, who may have a more difficult time gaining employment. As part of
this study, the “establishment employers” which have career ladders and internal
education programs must be identified. For example, Enterprise Rental Car is
known for its internal management program which produces top managers and
executives for the company. All businesses, regardless of sector need top quality
supervisors and managers to run day to day operations.
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area through Eligible Training
Providers and internal soft skill/professional training will work towards preparing
participants for these leadership roles. With the proper training, a participant, who
may have entered into a company as a cashier or stocker, will learn the skills and
abilities needed to satisfy the requirements of better paying positions. As with
other sectors, the Business Services Team will work towards the identification of
companies that meet the above criterion with which to partner.
Table 26
Retail & Service- NAICS
NAICS Description
2018
Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
452910 Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters 1.51 5,534 5,676 142 3% $21,831 20
445110
Supermarkets and Other Grocery (except Convenience)
Stores
0.67 4,087 4,026 (61) (1%) $26,400 93
452990 All Other General Merchandise Stores 2.16 1,875 2,156 281 15% $33,986 151
446110 Pharmacies and Drug Stores 1.14 1,828 1,885 57 3% $46,353 167
444110 Home Centers 0.97 1,634 1,603 (31) (2%) $29,139 23
452112 Discount Department Stores 0.79 1,576 1,516 (60) (4%) $18,943 23
452111 Department Stores (except Discount Department Stores) 1.04 1,191 1,064 (127) (11%) $29,336 12
443142 Electronics Stores 1.07 1,159 1,137 (22) (2%) $38,314 94
441310 Automotive Parts and Accessories Stores 1.21 1,077 1,078 1 0% $33,398 109

RETAIL AND SERVICE
NAICS Description
2018 Location
Quotient
2016 Jobs 2018 Jobs
2016 - 2018
Change
2016 - 2018
% Change
Current Total
Earnings
2015
Establishments
442299 All Other Home Furnishings Stores 1.29 508 527 19 4% $19,199 42
441320 Tire Dealers 1.10 481 475 (6) (1%) $43,802 63
441120 Used Car Dealers 1.23 479 484 5 1% $45,682 84
444190 Other Building Material Dealers 0.85 435 442 7 2% $51,346 56
453220 Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores 1.11 421 390 (31) (7%) $16,860 49
448190 Other Clothing Stores 1.34 400 407 7 2% $24,159 39
451120 Hobby, Toy, and Game Stores 1.04 391 399 8 2% $20,137 21
447190 Other Gasoline Stations 1.63 385 395 10 3% $27,121 25
444220 Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Stores 1.26 342 366 24 7% $29,667 27
444130 Hardware Stores 0.92 324 324 0 0% $32,051 34
453210 Office Supplies and Stationery Stores 1.19 312 298 (14) (4%) $38,737 26
441210 Recreational Vehicle Dealers 2.74 260 276 16 6% $60,370 13
448310 Jewelry Stores 0.93 254 254 0 0% $47,005 40
446199 All Other Health and Personal Care Stores 1.75 227 239 12 5% $53,722 35
441228 Motorcycle, ATV, and All Other Motor Vehicle Dealers 1.29 223 229 6 3% $50,334 21
453998
All Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers (except Tobacco
Stores)
0.61 214 195 (19) (9%) $40,504 41
Retail & Service- NAICS

PROGRAM COMPLETIONS & LABOR FORCE GAPS
IPEDS and Labor Gaps
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) serves as the primary
education data collection program for the National Center for Education Statistics.
IPEDS provides analytical analysis for program completions, enrollment, program
cost and data on the retention and graduation of students for Community Colleges
and four-year Universities. While IPEDS data is not available for every eligible
training provider in the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area, it is
available for Pulaski Technical College, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, and
the University of Central Arkansas. By comparing IPEDS data to “regional job
openings” derived from EMSI, the “labor force gap” or “oversaturation” can be
calculated for specific training programs. The labor force gap columns on the
subsequent tables were calculated by the Central Arkansas Workforce Development
Area from EMSI data.
How to Use the Following Charts
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board of Directors has directed all
eligible training programs be focused on jobs identified as “in-demand” in the
region. The directive will benefit both the jobseekers and employers within the
region by targeting the proper training for jobs which are available and in-demand.
This focused approach will increase the likelihood of securing a job upon completion
of the program and providing a pipeline of workforce that possess the skills and
knowledge needed to help companies thrive.
To determine the jobs and training programs on which to focus our program, Tables
27-29 can be used to analyze the applicability of such specific training programs.
The following example can be applied for each table to develop the needed
determination for each program. For example, for Pulaski Technical College and the
“Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences” program, a “labor force gap” of
1,070 exists for those jobs. This “labor force gap” can be calculated by subtracting
the 173 program completions from the regional openings column which indicates a
total 1,243 job opening exist for Certified Nursing Assistants and Personal Care
Aides. Both job titles are two examples of jobs that are listed under the “Regional
Openings” column. This is a prime example of the method used to “focus” upon the
types of education programs for the Central Arkansas Workforce Development Area
to target the jobs and training for the Health Care Industry.
Training for Real Jobs
To affectively adhere to the directive set forth by the Board, many programs will
need to be removed from the eligible training provider list. The recommendation of
removal does not address the quality of the institution or training program. Rather,
the analysis of the type training/education required to qualify for the “in-demand”
jobs determines the course of study that is eligible to be funded. In other words, if
a particular job category does not exist in sufficient numbers within the Central
Arkansas Region to support graduates of these programs WIOA funding will not be
available for that particular course. Furthermore, this defined Board Policy is
designed to ensure all training/education funded by the Central Arkansas Workforce
Development Board helps WIOA scholarship recipients to be equipped with the
skills needed to obtain a good paying job to enhance their overall quality of life.
The Central Arkansas Workforce Development Board fully agrees with and supports
each participant choosing his/her career path. However, this defined Board Policy
ensures each participant is provided the “best” options available within the Central
Arkansas WDA to prepare themselves for the “best” available jobs. In furtherance
of this Board Policy, all eligible training provider/programs are designed to prepare
participants for the primary industry sectors in Central Arkansas that have the most
opportunity and best paying jobs. In other words, this policy works to mitigate the
need for participants to develop a working knowledge and understand the Labor
Market Information which is provided to them. This data is complicated and can be
confusing and is difficult to both explain and interpret even for those trained in the
field. This new approach will provide the participant a much improved chance of
securing a quality job upon completion of their chosen training program. Labor
Market Information will still be made available to every participant, however the
delivery of the information will be packaged in way that is easy to understand and
comprehend. (Continued on pg. 52)

CIP Code Program
Pulaski
Technical
College
Completions
(2014)
Other
Regional
Completions
(2014)
Labor
Force
Gap
Regional
Openings
(2016)
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Regional
Jobs (2016)
Regional
Jobs (2018)
Growth in
Jobs (2016-
2018)
51.0000 Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 157 16 1,070 1,243 $25.06 35,084 35,881 2%
52.0408 General Office Occupations and Clerical Services 31 0 428 459 $13.56 17,487 17,298 (1%)
52.0101 Military Technologies and Applied Sciences, Other 22 1 219 242 $18.81 8,738 8,801 1%
29.9999 Business/Commerce, General 53 63 208 324 $36.14 12,708 12,617 (1%)
49.0205 Truck and Bus Driver/Commercial Vehicle Operator and Instructor 13 0 203 216 $15.51 10,092 9,777 (3%)
52.0701 Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 8 12 188 208 $37.81 7,624 7,582 (1%)
51.3902 Nursing Assistant/Aide and Patient Care Assistant/Aide 53 0 117 170 $10.81 4,572 4,696 3%
19.0706 Child Development 44 0 106 150 $10.20 4,698 4,625 (2%)
12.0503 Teacher Education, Multiple Levels 18 0 105 123 $22.80 4,195 4,220 1%
13.1206 Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping 24 0 80 104 $16.02 6,010 5,911 (2%)
24.0101 Construction Trades, Other 11 0 75 86 $16.60 4,403 4,289 (3%)
52.0301 Medical Office Assistant/Specialist 17 0 67 84 $13.89 2,597 2,680 3%
52.0302 Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching 0 39 53 92 $23.44 3,135 3,153 1%
51.3901 Culinary Arts and Related Services, Other 8 0 40 48 $9.14 1,452 1,466 1%
13.1203 Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies, Other 0 0 34 34 $22.65 1,032 1,048 2%
46.9999 Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician 14 0 31 45 $15.67 1,519 1,498 (1%)
51.0710
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance
Technology/Technician
0 0 27 27 $17.15 1,043 1,055 1%
12.0599 Machine Tool Technology/Machinist 18 0 23 41 $15.99 1,071 1,082 1%
52.1201 Manufacturing Engineering Technology/Technician 4 0 13 17 $34.10 530 528 (0%)
47.0604 Legal Assistant/Paralegal 13 2 12 27 $19.55 1,124 1,123 (0%)
48.0501 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies, Other 0 0 10 10 $11.14 243 242 (0%)
47.0399 Forensic Science and Technology 0 0 9 9 $19.07 142 147 4%
47.0201 Engine Machinist 0 0 7 7 $19.42 82 92 12%
51.0601 Respiratory Care Therapy/Therapist 13 0 5 18 $22.33 586 593 1%
22.0302 Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 2 0 4 6 $15.67 197 195 (1%)
12.0401 Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew 2 0 4 6 $46.86 209 201 (4%)
48.0508 Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology 3 0 4 7 $23.92 266 266 (0%)
PROGRAM COMPLETIONS & LABOR FORCE GAPS
Table 27
Pulaski Technical Institute Completions Source: QCEW Employees & Non-QCEW Employees - Emsi 2016

CIP Code Program
Pulaski
Technical
College
Completions
(2014)
Other
Regional
Completions
(2014)
Labor
Force Gap
Regional
Openings
(2016)
Median
Hourly
Earnings
Regional
Jobs (2016)
Regional
Jobs (2018)
Growth in
Jobs (2016-
2018)
52.0901 Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 1 0 3 4 $25.08 210 186 (11%)
47.0605 Legal Administrative Assistant/Secretary 3 0 3 6 $15.39 511 503 (2%)
51.0908 Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician 16 0 2 18 $20.99 830 819 (1%)
15.0613 Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology 1 0 2 3 $19.86 73 74 2%
43.0103 Industrial Technology/Technician 1 0 1 2 $24.32 53 54 2%
47.0607 Medical Transcription/Transcriptionist 8 0 (3) 5 $15.49 193 189 (2%)
52.0499 Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician 23 0 (8) 15 $24.11 633 562 (11%)
47.0603 Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician 24 0 (10) 14 $17.10 563 550 (2%)
47.0608 Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician 24 0 (11) 13 $24.02 552 491 (11%)
47.0699 Drafting and Design Technology/Technician, General 16 4 (17) 3 $21.66 245 237 (3%)
51.0803 Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician 25 0 (22) 3 $16.09 106 108 2%
43.0106 Business Operations Support and Secretarial Services, Other 37 0 (23) 14 $17.48 355 365 3%
12.0501 Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 0 39 (24) 15 $28.35 378 382 1%
47.0101 Electrical/Electronics Equipment Installation and Repair, General 34 0 (26) 8 $15.11 365 360 (1%)
47.0615 Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 6 20 (26) 0 $0.00 0 0 0%
15.1202 Occupational Therapist Assistant 19 18 (27) 10 $29.91 147 157 7%
09.0702 Hospitality Administration/Management, General 50 0 (30) 20 $20.93 550 564 3%
49.0102 Welding Technology/Welder 69 0 (44) 25 $16.04 759 750 (1%)
22.0301 Culinary Arts/Chef Training 185 0 (45) 140 $10.19 3,000 3,115 4%
51.0708 Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurse Training 38 114 (50) 102 $18.21 2,942 2,975 1%
47.0609 Accounting 19 146 (53) 112 $29.53 3,452 3,477 1%
47.0606 Dental Assisting/Assistant 26 79 (78) 27 $15.44 678 696 3%
15.1301 Baking and Pastry Arts/Baker/Pastry Chef 144 0 (136) 8 $9.00 283 286 1%
15.0507 General Studies 32 137 (169) 0 $0.00 0 0 0%
15.0612 Cosmetology/Cosmetologist, General 6 198 (179) 25 $10.35 570 593 4%
15.0403 Management Information Systems, General 154 89 (197) 46 $40.85 2,038 1,996 (2%)
24.0102 Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 1,299 80 (1,261) 118 $32.78 4,264 4,342 2%
Table 27- Continued
Pulaski Technical Institute Completions

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