US Consumer Prices Rise Just 0.1% as Inflation Stays Tame
by Associated Press – 4 days ago
U.S. consumer prices rose just 0.1% in June, as cheaper gas prices were offset by higher rents and auto costs.
Trends & Analysis
US Construction Spending Falls 0.8% in May
2 weeks ago
Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in May, the first drop in six months, as home building fell for a fifth straight month.
Transportation Equipment Top Export for Arkansas
2 weeks ago
Transportation equipment accounted for nearly $2 billion in exports in 2017, according to World Trade Center Arkansas.
Number of Community Banks Drops Sharply
The number of banks in the United States fell by almost 50% during the last 20 years, from about 10,700 in 1997 to about 5,600 in 2017, with the vast majority of the decline, 97%, accounted for by community banks. read more >
Manufacturing Employment in Arkansas Hits 163,000
Manufacturing employment in Arkansas stood at 163,000 workers in May 2019, far below its peak in the 1990s but higher than the trough experienced in the aftermath of the Great Recession. read more >
Where People Found Jobs: Business Services and Health Care
Job growth strengthened in nearly all major industry sectors in June, with notable jumps in government, business services, education and health. read more >
US Employers Added 224K Jobs in June; Unemployment Rate Up Slightly to 3.7%
U.S. employers sharply stepped up their hiring in June, adding a robust 224,000 jobs, an indication of the economy's durability after more than a decade of expansion. read more >
Ozone Action Days: It's Good Business (Tab Townsell Commentary)
For "Telecommute Month," Metroplan highlights the health and financial benefits of a growing workplace trend. read more >
Arkansas Ends Fiscal Year with $295M Budget Surplus
Arkansas ended its fiscal year with a $295 million budget surplus and nearly $74 million of that is going toward highway needs, state finance officials said Tuesday. read more >
Survey Suggests Midwest Economic Growth Will Continue
A new report says a June survey of business supply managers suggests economic growth will continue over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states. read more >
Celebrating Consumer Independence (Craig Douglass On Consumers)
During this Fourth of July celebratory week, consumers across America will be exercising their independence in the marketplace. We may shop, but we may not. Either way, we will salute in some manner the notion of consumer independence. read more >
US New-Home Sales Fell 7.8% in May
Sales of new U.S. homes slumped 7.8% in May, as sales plunged in the pricier Northeastern and Western markets. read more >
Supreme Court Strikes Morality Standard for Trademarks (Mark Henry and Hannah Hungate Commentary)
The U.S. Supreme Court makes a big change to trademark law, striking down a provision that precluded federal registration of trademarks that "consists of or comprises immoral, deceptive or scandalous matter." Here's a brief explanation of the history and process behind this decision. read more >
In Arkansas and Elsewhere, GOP Creates Hurdles for Citizen Ballot Initiatives
Lawmakers in 16 states introduced more than 120 bills this year that would weaken the initiative process. The moves worry advocates who say they undermine the idea of direct democracy and could effectively shut down the initiative process in some states. read more >
Insured Losses from U.S. Catastrophes Total $52B
Insured losses stemming from natural disasters in the United States in 2018 totaled $52.3 billion, down from $78 billion in 2017. read more >
Arkansas Unemployment Unchanged at 3.6% in May
Arkansas' unemployment rate in May, at 3.6%, was unchanged from the previous month. read more >
US Home Sales Climbed 2.5% in May Amid Lower Mortgage Rates
U.S. home sales jumped 2.5% in May, as lower mortgage rates appeared to help buyers overcome affordability challenges. read more >
Fed Leaves Key Rate Unchanged but Hints of Future Cuts
The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday but signaled that it's prepared to start cutting rates if needed to protect the U.S. economy from trade conflicts and other threats. read more >
US Home Construction Slips 0.9% in May
U.S. home construction slipped a bit in May as a sharp drop in single-family construction was only partially offset by a rise in apartment building. read more >
Arkansas Soap Opera (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
I've accepted another invitation to speak to the Arkansas chapter of the Certified Fraud Examiners. I thought I'd have to scramble for material, but the hearing into former state Sen. Jeremy Hutchinson's motion to suppress evidence in his federal criminal case feels like manna from heaven. read more >
It's Not Them. It's Us. (Barry Goldberg On Leadership)
Instead of pointing a finger at millennials, we need to understand that they are now the workforce we must engage to be successful. read more >
U.S. Tops Other Developed Nations in Health Care Spending
The United States spends more per person on health care than similarly wealthy countries: $10,224 per person in 2017. That was 28% higher than Switzerland, the next highest spender per capita. read more >
Mean Wage for Legal Work Drops in Arkansas
The mean annual wage for lawyers in Arkansas in May 2018 was $98,780. read more >
A Look at 'Codetermination,' Bernie Sanders' Big Idea for Walmart's Board (Blake D. Lewis Commentary)
Bernie Sanders' proposal to Walmart is commonly referred to as "codetermination," a practice mandated in several European countries. Blake Lewis explains what it is, how it works and whether we'll see more of it in the U.S. read more >
Millennial Incomes: Median Hits $69,000 in 2017
Median incomes of U.S. households are rising again, and “those headed by a Millennial (someone age 22 to 37) now earn more than young adult households did at nearly any time in the past 50 years,” according to the Pew Research Center. read more >
Fake It Till You Break It (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Overestimating one's own competence is not really the news here. What's new is the consistency with which other people — complete strangers, even — interpret confidence as competence. read more >
And Now: Good News (Editorial)
We have suggested to Michael Pakko, the state economic forecaster, that the volume of Movers & Shakers landing in our queue be considered an economic indicator. By that indication, Arkansas' economy is humming. read more >
A Tan and a Job (Craig Douglass On Consumers)
With unemployment continuing to be at undeniably low rates, the labor market is tight. Usually tight labor markets — more jobs than available or desirous workers — result in increased wage pressure as businesses increase salaries to attract the workers they want. And that contributes to inflation. But there is no wage pressure. read more >
Interview: Walter Hussman on the Future of Arkansas Newspapers
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Publisher Walter Hussman was interviewed May 21 in a 45-minute telephone conversation, three days after he had published a letter to subscribers laying out the Little Rock newspaper's plan to cut print publication to Sundays only. read more >
'Like My Father Before Me' (Ana Hernández Kent Commentary)
The strong relationship between one's own education and that of one's parents has important financial implications. read more >
Arkansas GDP Rises in 2018
Real gross domestic product rose 0.9% in 2018 in Arkansas compared with 2017, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. read more >
Conway Takes Stock of Success, Role in Region
City officials and economic development leaders touted Conway's individuality while celebrating its role as part of a larger metropolitan region. read more >
At What Price? (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
Uber has become a verb like Google and is gaining more competitors in a market that will soon be saturated. Will having more ride-sharing options make any of us more likely to need a ride, or will ride-sharing become a commodity in which price is the primary differentiator? read more >
Editors' Picks
