Job Shortages
The tables below show the top three occupations that are projected from 2018-2028 of Arkansas employers based on the level of education they require. There is a state minimum wage of $11.00 in Arkansas. The one highlighted occupation under each of the three education levels has been selected to expand on in terms of potential career advancement.
Potential Career Advancement
1) Food Preparation Worker to Certified Food Manager
Food Preparation Worker Job Description:
- Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking
Entry Level Requirements:
- Food Handler Certification – not required by Arkansas state law, but employers may prefer it
- Obtain Food Handler Certification online here ($7, 2 hours); click here to take exam in Español, 普通话, 한국어, Việt, American Sign Language, Tagalog, Serbo-Croatian
Certified Food Manager Job Description:
- Responsible for food safety to protect the public from foodborne illness
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Pass the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) certification exam ($55)
- Online courses are not required, but provide knowledge for the ANSI exam
2) Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerks to Accountant & Auditor
Bookkeeping, Accounting & Audit Clerk Job Description:
- Compute, classify and record numerical data to keep financial records accurate and complete
Entry Level Requirements:
- Certification is not required by Arkansas law, but an associate’s degree is generally required
- Accounting training programs in Arkansas are listed here
Accountant & Auditor Job Description:
- Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports on activities in an organization
Career Advancement Requirements:
- A Bachelor’s degree with Accounting concentration
- At least 1 year of accounting experience
- Pass the CPA exam
- Complete a 1 hour online ethics course
- Social security number is required, but there is no residency or citizenship requirement
3) Registered Nurse to Nurse Practitioner
Registered Nurse Job Description:
- Assess patient health problems and needs, develop and administer nursing care
Entry Level Requirements:
- Complete an accredited nursing program in Arkansas
- Pass the National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) exam ($200)
Nurse Practitioner Job Description:
- Diagnose and treat patients independently or as part of a healthcare team
Career Advancement Requirements:
- Earn a graduate degree in a chosen nursing specialization
- Become nationally certified by an accredited agency
- Apply for license; renewable every 2 years
Immigration in Arkansas
The following are facts about the immigrant community in Arkansas:
- Immigrants comprise 5% of the state population and 7% of the Arkansas labor force
- Top industries of immigrant employment:
- Manufacturing, 31,525 workers
- Construction, 12,756 workers
- Retail trade, 12,419 workers
- Health Care and Social Assistance, 8,412 workers
- Accommodation and Food Services, 8,378 workers
- 12,843 immigrant business owners account for 8% of all self-employed Arkansas residents
- 35% of immigrants in Arkansas are naturalized and another 41% are undocumented
- Top foreign-born countries of origin:
- Mexico, 40%
- El Salvador, 12%
- India, 5%
- Vietnam, 4%
- Guatemala, 4%
- 5% of native-born Arkansans are children of an immigrant
- Educational attainment of foreign born adults in Arkansas:
- High School diploma or less – 64%
- More than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree – 16%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher – 20%
- Share of Brain Waste* – 28%
* Share of immigrant professionals, who are unemployed, employed at poverty-level wages in High School diploma or less jobs, or significantly underemployed in more than HS diploma, less than Bachelor’s degree jobs
Sources
Jobs
Projections Managing Partnership (PMP), Projections Central – State Occupational Projections, “Long Term Occupational Projection (2018-2028)”; http://www.projectionscentral.com/Projections/LongTerm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates; https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oessrcst.htm
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, “Education and training assignments by detailed occupation,” 2019; https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-and-training-by-occupation.htm
National Council of State Legislatures, “State Minimum Wages”, December 2020; http://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wage-chart.aspx#Table
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economic News Release, “Employees on Nonfarm Payrolls by State, Seasonally adjusted”, November 2020; https://www.bls.gov/news.release/laus.t03.htm
Potential Career Advancement
National Conference of State Legislatures, “The National Occupational Licensing Database”, March 2020: https://www.ncsl.org/research/labor-and-employment/occupational-licensing-statute-database.aspx
Immigration
American Immigration Council, State by State Fact Sheet, August 2020; https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/topics/state-by-state