
State Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.4% in March
Arkansas' unemployment rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point, from 4.5% in February to 4.4% in March, the state Division of Workforce Services said Friday. read more >
Arkansas' unemployment rate fell one-tenth of a percentage point, from 4.5% in February to 4.4% in March, the state Division of Workforce Services said Friday. read more >
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits tumbled last week to 576,000, a post-COVID low and a hopeful sign that layoffs are easing as the economy recovers from the pandemic recession. read more >
Newly vaccinated and armed with $1,400 stimulus checks, Americans went on a spending spree last month, buying new clothes and going out to eat again. read more >
A Federal Reserve survey finds that the economy rebounding in late February through early April, helped by billions of dollars in a new round of stimulus payments and the stepped-up rollout of coronavirus vaccines. read more >
Top Federal Reserve policymakers underscore their concern that Black and Hispanic people are sharply underrepresented in the economics field, which lessens the perspectives that economists can bring to key policy issues. read more >
U.S. consumer prices increased a sharp 0.6% in March, the biggest uptick since 2012, while inflation over the past year jumped 2.6%. read more >
Despite improvements like family coverage for adult children and guaranteed coverage for pre-existing conditions, our country’s patchwork of insurance coverage is still threadbare in spots. read more >
It makes sense to examine whether the nature of word-of-mouth has been altered after most mouths have been behind masks during the past 12 months. read more >
The residential construction market in the Little Rock area boomed last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic, with the number of new single-family housing units permitted hitting their highest level since 2007, at more than 1,500. read more >
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week to 744,000, signaling that many employers are still cutting jobs even as more people are vaccinated against COVID-19. read more >
If the cost of performing FOIA requests is burdensome, the answer is to come up with the money, not to keep chipping away at the public’s right to know. read more >
The American Rescue Plan of 2021 seeks to help the United States recover from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. read more >
With his faith kept and his finish of a race well run, on March 1, Vernon Jordan has received exemplary eulogies, warm remembrances and laurels for his life, respect and admiration. read more >
If we serve our communities — all parts of our communities — then we must bring more women, more people of color and more diverse people into positions of leadership. read more >
The state Department of Finance and Administration says that March net available general revenue was $372.9 million, $16.3 million above March 2020 and $20.8 million — or 5.9% — above forecast. read more >
America’s employers unleashed a burst of hiring in March, adding 916,000 jobs in a sign that a sustained recovery from the pandemic recession is taking hold as vaccinations accelerate, stimulus checks flow and businesses reopen. read more >
Strong economic growth is expected to continue in nine states over the next few months as businesses continue to recover from the pandemic, a new survey of business leaders says. read more >
U.S. consumer confidence surged in March to the highest reading in a year, helped by increased vaccinations and more government economic support. read more >
The COVID-19 pandemic drove down employment and pushed the U.S. economy into recession a year ago, and now many unemployed Americans are considering changing occupations, according to the Pew Research Center. read more >
The perfect candidate on paper can let you down, and the riskiest hires can sometimes deliver the biggest rewards. read more >