Asa Hutchinson: Nearly 300 Companies Seek Quick Action Loans
by Sarah Campbell-Miller – 4 days ago
Gov. Asa Hutchinson expects $3 million in state loans related to the COVID-19 outbreak to be distributed to Arkansas businesses early next week.
Government & Politics
Fed Projects Decade's Fastest-Growing Occupations
6 days ago
Employment in the United States is forecast to grow by 8.4 million jobs to 169.4 million jobs during the decade of 2018-28, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Or it was; the report was released months before the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread job losses.
Preston: Arkansas Ready to Serve Employers, Workers 
6 days ago
Arkansas Commerce Secretary Mike Preston says the COVID-19 pandemic is an “unprecedented” challenge to the state's economy, but the state is in a good position to cushion the blow to businesses and employees.
State Gets PPE, Hand Sanitizer from L'Oreal
The state got its first shipment of hospital personal protective equipment that was not from the national stockpile, and it could get 30 days worth of PPE as soon as next week, UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson says. read more >
Conway Corp. Partners With BP Unit on White County Solar Farm
Conway Corp. has a 20-year agreement to buy discount sun power from Lightsource BP, a global solar leader planning to build a 132-megawatt array in neighboring White County. read more >
Arkansas Lawmakers to Meet Again Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Arkansas lawmakers will meet as planned for this year's legislative session amid the coronavirus outbreak, but leaders hope to wrap up work in less than two weeks, the state Senate's president said Friday. read more >
Jobs Growth Streak Ends; US Payrolls Fall by 701K in March
A record streak of U.S. job growth ended in March after nearly a decade as employers cut 701,000 jobs because of the viral outbreak that's all but shut down the U.S. economy. read more >
Resource Guide: Financial Tools, Aid for Businesses Hurt by COVID-19
Arkansas Business is regularly updating this page with links and contact information for businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. read more >
Resisting Calls for Stay-At-Home Orders, Governor Says Targeted Approach is Working
Gov. Asa Hutchinson says Arkansas' targeted response to the COVID-19 pandemic is working, addressing concerns about the state being the only one in the South that hasn't issued a stay-at-home order. read more >
Arkansas Cities Get CBDG Money Under CARES Act
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has made grants totaling $23.6 million available to Arkansas, part of the federal CARES Act. read more >
Buffalo National River Closed Over Coronavirus Concerns
The Buffalo National River was temporarily closed Thursday because of coronavirus concerns, and a second Arkansas lawmaker tested positive for the virus. read more >
Arkansas Revenue Down From Last Year, Above Forecast in March
State tax officials say Arkansas' March net available general revenue was $356.6 million, down 12.4% from the same month last year and 8.9% above forecast. read more >
A Record 6.6M Seek US Jobless Aid As Layoffs Mount
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — doubling a record high set just one week earlier — a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus. read more >
Arkansas State Representative Tests Positive for Coronavirus
A member of the Arkansas House said Wednesday he's tested positive for the coronavirus and state health officials reported two more people have died from the outbreak. read more >
State Partners with Walmart, Quest Diagnostics on Drive-Thru Testing
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announces a partnership with Walmart Inc. of Bentonville and Quest Diagnostics of Secaucus, New Jersey, to install a drive-thru COVID-19 testing facility in Bentonville. read more >
Jonesboro Rallies In Wake of Disaster ‘Double Whammy'
An EF-3 tornado struck Jonesboro on Saturday, piling a natural disaster onto the city's efforts to respond to the ongoing state — and nationwide — health crisis. read more >
Governor's Cup Virtual Awards Program Set For April 9
Fifty students representing 18 teams from eight Arkansas universities still competed, albeit virtually due to COVID-19 concerns, in the 20th annual Arkansas Governor's Cup competition for a $154,000 cash prize pool. read more >
Midwest Economy: March State-By-State Glance
The Institute for Supply Management, formerly the Purchasing Management Association, began formally surveying its membership in 1931 to gauge business conditions. read more >
US Construction Spending Down 1.3% in February
Spending on U.S. construction projects fell 1.3% in February with housing and nonresidential construction both showing weakness even before the coronavirus struck with force in the United States. read more >
Survey: US Manufacturing Slides in March
American manufacturing slide in March, dragged down by economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. read more >
Waking Up in a New Army of the Unemployed
Thousands of Arkansans who lost their jobs as the COVID-19 disease outbreak shut down businesses are seeking unemployment aid. read more >
Update: Baptist Health to Begin Furloughing Workers
Baptist Health will begin furloughing workers this week in an attempt to slash costs as patients cancel procedures and testing, creating “a serious financial strain” on the state's largest health care system. read more >
Arkansas Businesses Should Prepare Now to Apply for Federal Aid
Businesses can begin preparing now to apply for assistance under the federal rescue package signed last week by President Trump, but it will be about two weeks before they can turn in their paperwork. read more >
Governor Forms Committee to Guide Use of $1.25B CARES Act Funds
Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday that he had signed an executive order forming a 15-member steering committee to direct $1.25 billion in federal funds the state expects to receive to combat the coronavirus outbreak. read more >
Coronavirus Deaths Rise to 6, Cases to 426 in Arkansas
The number of coronavirus deaths in Arkansas has risen by one to six, Gov. Asa Hutchinson and state Secretary of Health Dr. Nate Smith said Sunday. read more >
Mountain Home Ramada Inn Appeals County's High Appraisal
A hotel and an apartment complex are battling with the Equalization Board of Baxter County over the value of their property assessments. read more >
Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-19 (Andrew Meadors Commentary)
If you are counting on business interruption insurance to help you through this catastrophe, I potentially have some bad news. read more >
Josh McGee Maintains State's Data Plan
Josh McGee, the state's new chief data officer, describes what his role means for the state, and reveals how he keeps track of his passwords. read more >
Arkansas Lawmakers Approve COVID-19 Fund as Virus Cases Rise
Arkansas lawmakers voted Friday to create a $173 million rainy day fund to combat coronavirus and to prevent some agencies' budgets from being cut because of the pandemic's economic fallout. read more >
Trump Signs $2.2T Stimulus After Swift Congressional Votes
President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law Friday, after swift and near-unanimous action by Congress this week to support businesses, rush resources to overburdened health care providers and help struggling families during the deepening coronavirus epidemic. read more >
Governor: Arkansas Could See 3,500 Coronavirus Cases in 2 Weeks
Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday that based on current models and experts, Arkansas could see COVID-19 cases increase to 2,000 by the first week of April and to 3,500 within two weeks. read more >
Arkansas' Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.5% in February
Arkansas' unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.5% last month, according to a report Friday by the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services. read more >
Governor Touts $116M Aid Package To Shore Up State's Health Care Industry
Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday announced a $116 million package to shore up the state's health care industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. read more >
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