There is provided a method for producing a poly(arylene sulfide) in which a dihalo-aromatic compound and an alkali metal halide are polymerized by heating in an organic amide solvent, wherein the cooling time for the polymerization reaction system is significantly reduced. After the polymerization process, there is provided a cooling process for cooling the polymerization reaction system comprising a liquid phase containing the product poly (arylene sulfide) and the organic amide solvent and a vapor phase containing a gas component (A); and in the cooling process, the gas component (A) in the vapor phase is cooled while the content of a low boiling gas component (A1), which has a lower boiling point than water and exists in the gas component (A), is reduced in the vapor phase of the polymerization system.