Develop and disseminate essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries…

The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services received a $402,106 formula grant award from the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) under the Employment Service/Wagner-Peyser Funded Activities program (CFDA 17.207) for the period July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. This grant funds the development and dissemination of state and local labor market information (LMI) products and services designed to support informed decision-making by job seekers, employers, workforce intermediaries, educational institutions, policymakers, and other labor market stakeholders. Core deliverables include maintaining a workforce information database, producing employment projections, generating statewide economic analysis reports, and ensuring adequate training for LMI staff. Grantees retain discretion to develop supplementary reports and data products that provide actionable information and resources enabling users to make informed decisions regarding reemployment, work-based learning, training, and career pathways leading to rapid reemployment and worker advancement.

The grant serves a broad intended beneficiary population including job seekers, employers, American Job Center staff, state and local workforce development boards, students, academic researchers, and labor market analysts throughout Arkansas. By furnishing accurate, timely labor market data and analysis, the program enables users across multiple customer groups to develop evidence-based workforce development strategies and make informed career and training decisions aligned with high-demand and higher-wage job opportunities.

Purpose

The purpose of this grant is to develop and disseminate essential state and local labor market information (LMI) for a range of customer groups: 1) job seekers 2) businesses employers 3) workforce and labor market intermediaries such as employment, school, and career counselors, and case managers at american job centers, who help individuals find a job or make career decisions, or engage businesses seeking skilled workers 4) program and service planners at educational institutions and community-based organizations 5) policy makers, including state and local workforce development boards 6) partners, such as economic development entities and human resource professionals and 7) other customers, including recipients of workforce development grants, researchers, commercial data providers, and the media.

Activities

Grantees must populate and maintain a workforce information database, produce two types of public products (employment projections and a statewide economic analysis report), and ensure LMI staff are adequately trained. ETA also encourages grantees to produce other reports and data in addition to those required. Grantees have wide discretion in both the topics and presentation format. These reports should include accurate data, actionable information, and resources that enable data users to make informed decisions about the reemployment, work-based learning, training, and career pathways strategies that lead to rapid reemployment and worker advancement along a continuum of high-demand and higher wage jobs.

Expected outcomes

By performing these duties users of LMI will have sufficient information to make informed decisions regarding employment, careers, education, and training.

Intended beneficiaries

Job seekers, employers, staff in american job centers, state and local workforce boards, national state local policy makers, students, academic researchers, labor market analysts, and other users of LMI.

Subrecipient activities

A state may use wigs funding to work with a subrecipient to conduct a study or research an LMI topic when a state LMI office does not have sufficient staffing or knowledge to conduct the work themselves.