University of Arkansas Center for Business and Economic Research

The vacancy rate for commercial real estate in northwest Arkansas dropped to 5.6% in the second half of 2022, according to the Arvest Bank Skyline Report. read more >

When the pandemic began devastating commerce in March 2020, Arkansas cities slashed budgets and tabled projects, fearing sales tax revenues would fall off the shelf. read more >

The commercial real estate market remained strong in Benton and Washington counties in the second of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Arvest Bank Skyline Report. read more >

Northwest Arkansas had a record number of residential homes sold in the second half of 2020, according to the latest Arvest Bank Skyline Report. read more >

The vacancy rate for office space in Benton and Washington counties was 8.5% in the second half of 2019, the second lowest vacancy rate since 2004, according to the latest Arvest Bank Skyline Report. read more >

Mervin Jebaraj began doing research for the University of Arkansas’ Center for Business & Economic Research when he was pursuing his master’s degree in public policy in 2007. He was named interim director in April 2017 and permanent director beginning Jan. 1, 2018. read more >

The Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas will present its regular Quarterly Business Analysis on May 16 in Fayetteville. read more >

Three years after natural gas prices plunged to their lowest point since 1998 — one-sixth the price seen in 2005 — the gas market remains depressed, drilling is dormant, and oil production is flat in the traditional crude belt of south Arkansas. read more >

Trade with Mexico fuels profit, but CEO Dan Cushman says his carrier can cope. read more >

Space is not the problem for northwest Arkansas as thousands of new arrivals show up each year. The struggle is with affordability. read more >

Mervin Jebaraj was named the interim director of the Center for Business & Economic Research at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in April to replace Kathy Deck. He has been with the center since 2007. read more >

Economist Kathy Deck is leaving the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville to become the director of community and economic research partnerships at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. read more >

The more beds that go into Fayetteville, the more beds Fayetteville seems to need, and that means even older multifamily properties are still in demand. read more >

Experts think the commercial real estate market in northwest Arkansas is returning to normal; those who make their living in the industry agree. And they like the new normal. read more >

The group pushing for the legalization of alcohol sales in three Arkansas counties commissioned an economic impact study that estimated those counties would have seen a combined $87.2 million in retail alcohol sales in 2013. read more >