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.
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.
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.
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 >
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 >
Batesville Schools Superintendent Michael Hester told of solar energy savings from an Entegrity-built system that funded raises of at least $4,000 a year for the nearly 250 teachers on his payroll. read more >
The Arkansas Division of Workforce Services says Arkansas' unemployment rate decreased one‐tenth of a percentage point, from 4.6% in January to 4.5% in February. read more >
Officials at the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau expected 2020 to be a record-setting tourism and tax collection year, but the COVID-19 pandemic got in the way, according to the CVB's annual report. read more >
Orders to U.S. factories for big-ticket manufactured goods slumped 1.1% in February with demand in a key sector that tracks business investment also dropping. read more >
Sales of new homes plunged 18.2% in February as severe winter weather in many parts of the country and a lack of supply took a toll on the housing industry. read more >
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes slowed last month as rising prices and a dearth of homes for sale kept some would-be buyers on the sidelines. read more >
A majority of business economists think the recovering economy will benefit from much more government spending despite concerns in financial markets that the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief measure Congress recently enacted could ignite inflation. read more >
Recent days have underscored that there are really two American economies. As the Dow Jones Industrial Average closes above 33,000 for the first time, Congress is experimenting with direct cash infusions to reduce child poverty. read more >
Decision-making (like pretty much everything else) has become more complex, nuanced and more turbulent than it was 13 months ago. read more >
Mortgage rates hit historical lows last year, sending the level of mortgage refinancing activity in the United States to its highest annual total since 2003, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. read more >
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated his belief that while the U.S. economy has been steadily rebounding from the devastation caused by the pandemic recession, the recovery is far from complete and needs continued support from the Fed. read more >
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to 770,000, a sign that layoffs remain high even as much of the U.S. economy is steadily recovering from the coronavirus recession. read more >
The red-hot U.S. housing market is paying off for many homeowners, even those who aren't looking to sell their home. read more >
