The traditional definition of a labor force as being comprised of those residing within a 30-mile radius of a given community cannot be readily applied to Pine Bluff. Population within a 50-mile radius of Pine Bluff is 687,522 (based on 2006 estimates). The 11-county Metro Little Rock Region, of which Jefferson County is a part, has an estimated population approaching 1,000,000. Historically, the local labor draw area has also encompassed all of Southeast Arkansas as well as the heavily populated counties to the north.
With the exception of Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, Southeast Arkansas tends to be largely rural with numerous smaller urban areas. The area encompasses the following counties (listed with 2000 Census populations):
| Arkansas | 20,749 |
| Bradley | 12,600 |
| Cleveland | 8,571 |
| Dallas | 9,210 |
| Desha | 18,723 |
| Drew | 15,341 |
| Grant | 16,464 |
| Hot Spring | 30,353 |
| Jefferson | 84,278 |
| Lincoln | 14,492 |
| Population Total | 230,781 |
Age Distribution (based on 2000 census):
| Under 5 | 15,238 | 6.6% |
| 5 to 14 | 33,340 | 14.4% |
| 15 to 24 | 33,579 | 14.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 29,108 | 12.6% |
| 35 to 44 | 34,453 | 14.9% |
| 45 to 54 | 30,950 | 13.4% |
| 55 to 64 | 21,853 | 9.5% |
| 65+ | 32,260 | 14.0% |
Racial Composition (based on 2000 census):
| Black | 32.8% |
| White | 64.8% |
| Hispanic & Other | 2.5% |
