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Unemployment in Union County rose to 10.2 percent in May, several points higher than the 6.9 percent average in the entire state, according to Arkansas labor market data.

The rise in the county’s unemployment rate, up from 8.1 percent in April, corresponds with the shutdown of the Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plant in El Dorado on May 8. More than 800 people lost their jobs and more than 160 area growers were affected by the halting of operations at the plant.

Unemployment in Union County also rose steadily between April 2008 and January 2009, from 5 percent to ...