Workforce
Manufacturing forms the backbone of the Paragould labor market, with major employers including Tenneco, Inc., an automotive parts manufacturer; American Railcar Inc., a manufacturer of railway tank and hopper cars; and Anchor Industries, manufacturers of plastic wrap and packaging. Employees converge on Paragould to work from surrounding counties, providing a labor force of more than 140,000 in a 45-mile radius. Median Household Income is $41,717, and 85.4 percent of the adult population has a high school diploma or beyond in Greene County.
Workforce Labor force:
| County | Civilian Labor Force | Employed | Unemployed | Unemployment Rate |
| Clay, AR |
5,733 |
5,480 | 253 | 4.4% |
| Craighead, AR | 54,976 | 53,409 | 1,867 | 2.9% |
| Greene, AR | 19,948 | 19,250 | 698 | 3.5% |
| Lawrence, AR | 6,653 | 6,354 | 299 | 4.5% |
| Mississippi, AR | 17,371 | 16,448 | 923 | 5.3% |
| Poinsett, AR | 10,377 | 10,019 | 358 | 3.4% |
| Randolph, AR | 7,312 |
7,043 |
269 | 3.7% |
| Dunklin, MO | 11,468 | 11,039 | 429 | 3.9% |
| Pemiscot, MO | 6,317 | 6,090 | 227 | 3.6% |
Source: "Arkansas Labor Market," Department of Workforce Services, August 2019; "Local Area Unemployment Statistics," Missouri Economic Research & Information Center, September 2019.