Arkansas Unemployment Rate Unchanged at 3.4%
Arkansas' unemployment rate remain unchanged at 3.4% between July and August, the state Division of Workforce Services said Friday. read more >
Tagged: Trends
Mortgage Rates Boosted US Home Sales 1.3% in August
U.S. home sales rose 1.3% in August to the highest level in 17 months, as mortgage rates near historic lows have spurred a rush of home-buying. read more >
A Divided Fed Cuts Key Rate for 2nd Time This Year
A sharply divided Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year while saying it's prepared to continue doing what it deems necessary to sustain the U.S. economic expansion. read more >
Report: In NWA, Absorption Keeps Pace With New Units
The commercial real estate market in northwest Arkansas remained balanced and added new space during the first half of 2019, according to Arvest Bank's Skyline Report released Tuesday. read more >
Manufacturers, Retailers Less Optimistic, Survey Says
Small manufacturers and retailers are losing confidence in the national economy yet remain upbeat about their own prospects. read more >
Do Your Employees A Solid (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Making your employees’ lives a little easier and less expensive would be a solid benefit at no cost to your company. read more >
Central Arkansas Population Growth Slows
The planning agency Metroplan has found that growth slowed considerably in most cities in central Arkansas when comparing the period 2000-10 with 2010-19, according to its latest report. read more >
US Consumer Prices Up Slight 0.1% in August
Consumer prices slowed in August, rising by a slight 0.1%, reflecting a big drop in the cost of gasoline and other energy products. read more >
US Job Openings Fell 0.4% in July
The number of open U.S. jobs slipped 0.4% in July, while hires climbed slightly, a sign that some employers may be growing cautious amid rising economic uncertainty. read more >
The Art of Being Wrong (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Before being elected president, Donald Trump had never worked for anyone but himself or his ultra-wealthy father. That doesn’t explain why he feels so comfortable saying things that are demonstrably untrue, but it could explain why he never had to learn how to own a mistake. read more >
Millennial Life: Better Educated, Most Women Work
Millennials are better educated than previous generations, with the share of young adults in the millennial generation (born 1981 through 1996) who have a bachelor’s degree or higher standing at 39% compared with 15% for the silent generation (1928-1945). read more >
US Adds Just 130K Jobs, Boosted by Census Hiring
U.S. employers added a modest 130,000 jobs in August, a sign that global economic weakness and President Donald Trump's trade war with China may have begun to slow hiring. read more >
Report: Arkansas Revenue Remained Above Forecast in August
Arkansas finance officials say the state's revenue in August remained above both the forecast and the same month last year. read more >
ISM: US Manufacturing Activity Contracted in August
U.S. factory activity shrank in August for the first time since August 2016, a sign that the trade war with China is weighing down a crucial sector of the economy. read more >
Survey Suggests Little or No Midwest Economic Growth in View
A new report says an August survey of business supply managers suggests slow or no economic growth over the next several months in nine Midwest and Plains states. read more >
Bridging Arkansas’ Digital Divide (John Fletcher Commentary)
The Rural Digital Opportunity Fund could represent the best chance over the next decade to narrow the digital divide for many rural communities. While much work remains to finalize the fund, the FCC’s proposal outlines a framework that will likely define federal broadband policy for rural America over the next decade. read more >
Tech World Still a Man’s World
Although the percentage of women in the U.S. workforce now stands at 46.8%, it remains much lower than that in the technology sector. read more >
The Fierce Courage of Anonymity (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
When we take ownership of our words, we may not always be at our best, but we are less likely to be at our worst. read more >
The Edge of the Ledge (Craig Douglass On Consumers)
Setting aside the president’s previous comment that trade wars are “easy to win,” the oft-repeated notion that China, for instance, is paying billions of dollars in tariffs simply does not have the added value of being true. read more >
Thanks to Consumers, US Economy Is Rising Steadily If Slowly
The economy slowed in the spring, and many analysts think the weakness will continue in the months ahead. Yet consumer spending, which drives about 70% of growth, accelerated in the April-June quarter. read more >
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