The unemployment rate in Saline County was 5.8 percent at the end of 2012, down from 6.1 percent the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The county is faring better than the state overall, with Arkansas' unemployment rate sitting at 7.1 percent in December 2012.
“I think it's attributed to the quality workforce in Saline County,” said Gary James, director of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce. “We have a heritage of strong, dedicated workers.”
