Mortgage Rates Boosted US Home Sales 1.3% in August
by Associated Press – 3 weeks ago
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.
Trends & Analysis
Do Your Employees A Solid (Gwen Moritz Editor's Note)
4 weeks ago
Making your employees' lives a little easier and less expensive would be a solid benefit at no cost to your company.
Report: In NWA, Absorption Keeps Pace With New Units
4 weeks ago
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.
US Consumer Prices Unchanged in September
Overall consumer prices were unchanged in September as a big decline in energy costs offset small gains in other areas. read more >
US Job Openings Slip 1.7% in August As Labor Market Slows
U.S. job openings fell 1.7% in August and hires edged down, bolstering views that the labor market may lose momentum as economic uncertainty and a manufacturing recession squeeze employers. read more >
Fed's Odd Dilemma: Low Unemployment But Pressure to Do More
With the nation's unemployment rate at its lowest point since the 1960s, you might expect the Federal Reserve to be raising interest rates to keep the economy from overheating. Yet the Fed is moving in precisely the opposite direction. read more >
Small Businesses Increasingly A Target for Cybercriminals
While small and mid-sized businesses are increasingly targets for cybercriminals, companies are struggling to devote enough resources to protect their technology from attack. read more >
Business Economists Foresee Slowdown in US Growth
The nation's business economists think President Donald Trump's trade war with China will contribute to a sharp slowdown in economic growth this year and next, raising concerns about a possible recession starting late next year. read more >
Poverty Rate in the U.S. Drops; Arkansas Stands at 17.2%
The poverty rate in the United States dropped last year to 13.1%, down from 13.4% in 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau reported late last month. It was the fifth straight annual drop, according to American Community Survey estimates. read more >
US Jobless Rate Falls to 50-Year Low of 3.5%
U.S. employers added a modest 136,000 jobs in September, enough to help lower the unemployment rate to a new five-decade low of 3.5%. read more >
Drop in US Service Sector Activity Raises Economic Concerns
Growth in the U.S. services sector slowed sharply in September to its lowest level in three years, suggesting that the Trump administration's trade conflicts and rising uncertainty are weakening the bulk of the economy. read more >
National Retail Federation Forecasts Solid Holiday Growth
The National Retail Federation, the nation's largest retail trade group, forecasts that holiday sales will rise between 3.8% and 4.2% even as uncertainty looms over an escalating trade war with China. read more >
Arkansas Revenue Above Expectations in September
Arkansas' finance office says the state's revenue in September exceeded the same month last year and remained above expectations. read more >
Survey: Businesses Added Just 135,000 Jobs in September
U.S. companies added a modest 135,000 jobs in September, a private survey found, a sign that hiring is slowing as the trade war takes a toll on the economy and employers grow cautious. read more >
Survey Suggests Little or No Midwest Economic Growth in View
A new report says a September survey of business supply manager suggests a slump in economic growth is continuing for nine Midwest and Plains states. read more >
A Movement to Save the Future (Commentary)
Action must be taken now to ensure long-term economic security for women. That is why organizations such as the Women's Foundation of Arkansas, Southern Bancorp Community Partners, Southern Bancorp Bank and others are promoting Save10. read more >
Health Care Spending Growth Slows
Spending on hospitals and physician services accounted for 53% of U.S. health spending in 2017. read more >
US Consumer Spending Rises Just 0.1% in August
American consumers boosted their spending by just 0.1% in August, the smallest gain in six months, even as their incomes rose at a solid pace. read more >
Report: Visitors to Arkansas Spent $7B in 2018
The Division of Arkansas Tourism said Wednesday that 32 million people visited Arkansas in 2018, spending $7.37 billion, up 4.4% from 2017. read more >
US New Home Sales Climbed 7.1% in August
U.S. new home sales jumped 7.1% in August, as low mortgage rates pull buyers into the housing market. read more >
Central Arkansas Demographics Trend Toward Cities
Almost half — 46% — of the four-county Metroplan region in central Arkansas live in the region's three largest cities, Little Rock, North Little Rock and Conway. read more >
You Get What You Tolerate (Barry Goldberg On Leadership)
Every organization has at least one of those above-average performers, often considered rock-stars, who deliver results, make themselves invaluable, and leave a swath of anger, chaos, and destruction in their wake. read more >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
Skyline Report Shows Home Sales, Average Prices Up in Northwest Arkansas
The number of homes sold and permits issued, overall absorption and average prices rose in northwest Arkansas in the first half of 2019, but the dwindling availability of lots could slow future growth, according to the latest Skyline Report. read more >
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