The Fort Smith metro area saw a notable decline in professional and business services jobs over the past year, according to recent employment data.
Professional and Business Services employment in the Fort Smith metropolitan area declined 7.2% year-over-year in April, a category that typically includes some of the highest-paying jobs in the region.
The Fort Smith metro encompasses Sebastian and Crawford counties in Arkansas and Le Flore County in Oklahoma, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the state after Little Rock.
The Professional and Business Services sector encompasses a range of occupations, from administrative and legal services to management consulting, information technology, and scientific positions. These roles often carry higher average wages compared to retail, hospitality, and other service-sector employment.
The year-over-year decline represents a setback for the metro area’s economic development efforts, which have historically centered on manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics. Community leaders in Fort Smith have worked in recent years to attract higher-skilled employers to diversify the regional economy beyond its traditional industrial base.
The metro area’s workforce development agencies have focused on upskilling programs aimed at preparing workers for positions in the professional services sector, a strategy designed to retain talent in the region and attract employers seeking a skilled workforce.
The decline in this higher-paying sector comes as regional employers across Arkansas continue navigating broader economic headwinds, including inflation pressures and uncertainty around federal policy decisions affecting business investment.
Fort Smith’s economy has historically depended on manufacturing, with several major industrial employers maintaining operations in the area. The loss of professional services jobs could impact the region’s ability to retain college-educated workers who typically seek employment in fields such as finance, consulting, and technology.
Local economic development officials have emphasized the importance of sector diversification, particularly in attracting knowledge-based employers that offer salaries competitive with larger metro areas.
Source: Talk Business & Politics
