Signs Everywhere: Now Hiring

The bumpy road to finding employment may smooth out -- with more companies opening the door to new jobs. Job experts predict more companies adding jobs through the rest of the year -- and it`s not just retailers. In a recent survey by Manpower, more than a quarter of Little Rock companies polled say they plan to increase their staff sizes. That`s compared to the 17% that made those plans last year. Arkansas` unemployment rate has fallen a full point from last year to 5.4% in August. "What we saw was increases in the service providing industries," explained Al Crumby of the Arkansas Workforce Investment Board. The office says while thousands of jobs have been lost in manufacturing, those employees are switching over to service jobs, like in restaurants or hotels. "A lot of these jobs were taken out of the country and plants closed," Crumby said. A new academy for children in North Little Rock hasn`t even opened its doors for business yet. But they have plenty ot hire for. "Full-time teachers, part-time teachers, aides, cooks, and van drivers," said owner Cynthia Foote, A Child`s Heart Academy. They`ll also have plenty of applicants to choose from with 80 to 85 applications, and 14 of 35 positions remaining open. The Arkansas Workforce Investment Board says they`ve also noticed a large job increase in health services. Over the last year, it has added 4,200 jobs in Arkansas.