A survey of supply managers in a nine-state region of the Midwest and Plains is showing more signs of the coronavirus pandemic's disruptive economic impact.
U.S. companies shed 27,000 jobs in March, according to a private survey, a figure that mostly reflected the economy as it stood before the full impact of the viral outbreak.
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.
The state's agriculture industry and rural areas may be hit hard by significant COVID-19 disruption in the supply chain, labor and government services, according to a report by University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. read more >
Everyone seems to be talking about how the world is going to be different after the coronavirus pandemic. I'm notoriously bad at predictions, but some things seem like sure bets. read more >
The dynamic needs of the community are where brands — pervasive, well-known, preferred — come into play. read more >
This chart highlights the dramatic effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the job market in the United States. read more >
In times of crisis and confusion, it's a lack of clarity and failure to act that kills. In previous crises, it's the companies that reacted quickly that survived. read more >
More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — doubling a record high set just one week earlier — a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus. read more >
U.S. consumer confidence tumbled this month to its lowest level in nearly three years as the impact of the coronavirus on the economy began to be felt. read more >
Employment in the United States is forecast to grow by 8.4 million jobs to 169.4 million jobs during the decade of 2018-28, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Or it was; the report was released months before the coronavirus pandemic caused widespread job losses. read more >
Every graph is still showing exponential spread of the coronavirus in the United States. South Korea seems to have been the only country that got ahead of this thing, but that's easier to do when your land mass is about 70% the size of Arkansas. read more >
The rate of home ownership in Arkansas was 65.3% as of Jan. 1, 2019, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. read more >
Saving money is good for the individual but bad for the overall economy because it reduces aggregate demand. read more >
If you want a simple way to understand how accountability works, or does not, in your organization, look no further than the military. read more >
Retail sales fell 0.5% in February, the largest drop in more than a year, indicating that the consumer sector was slowing even before the coronavirus struck with force in the United States. read more >
Moments of crisis are where thoughtful, strategic communication is most important. Here are a few communications tips from someone who's been in the trenches with many companies at those moments where every word matters. read more >
Arkansas' unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.5% between December and January, the state Division of Workforce Services said Monday. read more >
Overall sales in the legalized cannabis industry in the United States were expected to hit $13.6 billion in 2019, a 32% increase of the 2018 total of $10.3 billion, according to New Frontier Data of Washington, D.C., a data provider for the cannabis sector. read more >
If you are having trouble deciding how you, your family and your company should respond to an unprecedented health crisis, you might cut some slack to the journalists who are also trying to strike a balance that contributes to public safety while not fomenting panic. read more >
Is it time for a change in your business message? Depending on the research you follow and the experiences of other organizations, you could be led to different conclusions. read more >
Are the inconvenience, anxiety, and changes required of us justified? They are. This is not just a common cold or the flu. read more >
As Arkansas learns of its first presumptive cases of COVID-19, it is inevitable that the virus will affect day-to-day activities. Preparation will look different for every business, but we encourage all our clients to consider the following. read more >
More than 9,600 residential homes were sold in Washington and Benton counties in 2019, which is the highest number recorded by Arvest Bank's Skyline Report since its founding in 2004. read more >
As of last week, Arkansas' 17 publicly traded companies had 170 directors and 32 of them were women. That's almost 19%. read more >
The number of women-owned businesses rose 21% to 12.9 million between 2014 and 2019, according to the “2019 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report,” published by American Express. read more >
Low electric rates are critical for economic development in Arkansas, and it is important that we keep them that way. read more >
I've been trying to lay off national politics in this space, but while the Democratic Party seems dead set on crushing my soul, Republicans seem determined to turn me into the living embodiment of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. read more >
Wayne Cranford was a student of quality. A master of tone. Not only in the written and spoken word, but also in the way it was written and spoken. read more >
The leisure and hospitality industry in Arkansas employed 123,300 people as of December 2019, compared with 120,500 a year earlier. read more >
Heather Nelson writes that Arkansas must decide whether to continue to embrace pro-solar policies or "sit back and lose the chance to become a national leader in renewable energy." read more >
Real gross domestic product in the United States rose 2.3% in 2019, compared with an increase of 2.9% in 2018. read more >
Folks, we have a lot of overwhelmed consumers. It should not be this hard or frustrating to spend money. read more >
