Arkansas Economic Development Institute
Discovering Arkansas: Census Bureau Estimates Show Rising Population
More than half of Arkansas’ 75 counties have seen their populations grow since 2020, and the state’s population is growing at close to 2%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. read more >
by Marty Cook -
Eclipse Economics: Arkansas Expects Tourism Boom on the Horizon
To calculate how many eclipse chasers will be looking skyward in Arkansas at 1:45 p.m. on Monday, April 8, economists and tourism officials started by looking backward. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Cannabis Legalization: Business Pros and Cons
What the vote for recreational marijuana could mean for business, from the size of the market to its sales and tax potential. read more >
by Kyle Massey -
Job Openings Per Unemployed Worker Dips in Arkansas
The number of job openings per unemployed worker fell below 2.0 for the first time this year. read more >
Unemployment Rates in Arkansas Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels
Just as unemployment fell statewide in October, to 3.7%, unemployment rates in all eight Arkansas metro areas also declined, with rates falling by 0.2 to 0.4 percentage points. read more >
Arkansas Economist Sees Low Unemployment, Less Spending Ahead
Unemployment of between 3.3%-4% is also expected. read more >
A New $40M Blue Cross Showplace in Springdale
Arkansas Blue Cross & Blue Shield opens its $40 million, 81,000-SF Northwest Arkansas Corporate Center in Springdale, where it expects 300 employees will eventually work. read more >
by Mark Friedman -
Michael Pakko: Employment to Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels by Late 2022
Michael Pakko says the state could see a return to pre-pandemic employment by the end of 2022 — an outlook that could be affected by a vaccine, more stimulus and new shutdowns. read more >
UA-Pulaski Tech Gets $2.5M Grant for STEM Park
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awards a $2.5 million grant to the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College to launch the first phase of its STEM Park project. read more >
AEDI Dashboard Tracks COVID-19’s Social, Economic Effects
The Arkansas Economic Development Institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has developed an interactive COVID-19 data dashboard that tracks how the pandemic has affected the state socially and economically. read more >
What Has COVID-19 Unmasked in Your Business? (Michael Collins Commentary)
As COVID-19 continues to impact our society, it’s easy for daily business obligations to blind owners to the importance of evaluating their operation in light of the ongoing social and economic challenges the pandemic has created. read more >
by -
Pandemic Collateral Damage? Small Firms
The COVID-19 pandemic has delivered a wallop to the country’s economy, but experts interviewed by Arkansas Business don’t expect too much lasting damage. There is a caveat, of course. read more >
by Marty Cook -
UA Little Rock Economists Get $300K to Make Plan, Study COVID-19 Effects
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to create an Arkansas Recovery & Resiliency Plan and develop a history of the economic effects of COVID-19 on the state. read more >
Arkansas Employment Index Still in Recovery
Nonfarm payroll employment in Arkansas rose by 23,700 in June, an increase of 2%, while the national total rose by 3.6%. read more >
Video: Economist Michael Pakko on COVID-19 and Arkansas’ Economy
Michael Pakko, chief economist and state economic forecaster at the Arkansas Economic Development Institute at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, talks about the state of Arkansas' economy amid COVID-19. read more >
by Lance Turner -
Preston: Arkansas Ready to Serve Employers, Workers
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. read more >
by Marty Cook -
In Little Rock, Fed Economist Says Trade Policy A ‘Shock’ to U.S. Economy
Trade policy has been a “shock” to the economy, and uncertainty over it is rising sharply, Kevin Kliesen of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis said Thursday at the Little Rock Regional Economic Briefing. read more >
Cumulative Employment Growth in Arkansas Varies
Nonfarm payroll employment in Arkansas rose in June in most of the state’s metro areas, particularly in Fayetteville and Jonesboro. read more >
Unemployment Rates Trend Lower in Arkansas
The unemployment rates in most of Arkansas’ metro areas continued to move downward or stay stable in June, with Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Little Rock and Texarkana seeing declines. read more >
Arkansas GDP Grows 2.5% in Q1
Arkansas’ gross domestic product expanded by 2.5% during the first quarter of 2019, the highest quarterly growth rate for the state since the fourth quarter of 2016, Michael Pakko noted recently on his Arkansas Economist blog. read more >
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