U.S. Consumers Boosted Spending in April As Inflation Surged
Americans increased their spending by 0.5% in April, a slowdown after a massive gain in March that had been powered by the distribution of billions of dollars in individual stimulus…
State to start offering lottery tickets, gift certificates for vaccinated
Arkansas will begin giving lottery tickets and gift certificates for hunting and fishing licenses to people who get the coronavirus vaccine, Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Tuesday. Hutchinson said $20 scratch-off…
Sold sign in front of a house in a residential neighborhood, California
In A Chaotic Market, Demand and Prices for Homes in U.S. Soar
The U.S. housing market has gotten so out of whack, with demand far outpacing supply, that prices have risen to record levels and roughly half of all U.S. houses are…
Diners Finding Their Way Back to Restaurants
There’s good news on the restaurant beat. It’s about time. “They’re busy, really busy,” Montine McNulty, CEO of the Arkansas Hospitality Association, says of the state’s restaurants. That’s proving to…
Are Vaccinated Americans Powering the Economy? Not Yet, Data Show
Are Vaccinated Americans Powering the Economy? Not Yet, Data Show People who haven’t received the Covid-19 vaccine are more likely to be out spending Vaccinated Americans are increasingly going out this…
Small Business Optimism Up in April but Job Openings Remain at Record Highs
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose to 99.8 in April, an increase of 1.6 points from March. The Optimism Index has increased 4.8 points over the past three months…
April U.S. Home Sales Fell As Low Inventory Pushed Up Prices
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell for the third straight month in April as the number of properties for sale hit a record low, driving prices to new highs. …
April report shows more than 68,000 jobs return to state economy; jobless rate holds at 4.4%
T he April jobs report is a clear sign the state’s economy is in recovery, with job gains up 5.5% compared with April 2020, and the number of unemployed down…
US Jobless Claims Decline to 444K, A New Pandemic Low
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to 444,000, a new pandemic low and a sign that the job market keeps strengthening as consumers spend freely again,…
COVID-19 vaccinations lagging in rural areas, CDC data shows
COVID-19 vaccination rates were 6.8 percentage points lower in rural U.S. counties than in urban counties as of early April, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published May 18.…
Idled by covid, workers thinking beyond old jobs
Layoffs and lockdowns, combined with enhanced unemployment benefits and stimulus checks, gave many Americans the time and the financial cushion to rethink their careers. Their former employers are hiring again…
Arkansas renters offered ‘Fresh Start’
COVID-19 has impacted Arkansans in a variety of ways. For families who have lost partial or full wages due to layoffs and shut downs, the stress of keeping a roof…
Despite the Lumber Boom, Few New Sawmills Coming
North America’s sawmills can’t keep up with demand, which has sent wood prices on a meteoric rise. Don’t expect new mills to start popping up though.Executives in the cyclical business…
Typical american now hiring sign in black letters over the white background with local small business building
Changed by Pandemic, Many Workers Won’t Return to Old Jobs
There’s a wild card in the push to return to post-pandemic life: Many workers don’t want to go back to the jobs they once had. Layoffs and lockdowns, combined with…
Windstream to Add 1,000 Jobs in 18 States As Broadband Grows
Kinetic by Windstream, a business unit of Windstream Holdings Inc. of Little Rock, said Monday that will create 1,000 jobs across 18 states as its new engineering and fiber construction…
Hot Springs tourism sales hit record following ‘miserable’ pandemic year
Hot Springs tourism sales hit record following 'miserable' pandemic year Hot Springs, one of the state's busiest tourism cities got hit hard with the pandemic, but one of the biggest…
Cities see proof that economies are bouncing back post-pandemic
Cities see proof that economies are bouncing back post-pandemic Cities across our area are seeing increased sales tax revenue and interest from companies who want to open up in Arkansas.…
Consumer Prices Jump 0.8% in April As Worries Escalate
A worrisome bout of inflation struck the U.S. economy in April, with consumer prices for goods and services surging 0.8% — the largest monthly jump in in more than a…
U.S. Job Openings Soar to Highest Level on Record
U.S. employers posted a record number of available jobs in March, illustrating starkly the desperation of businesses trying to find new workers as the country emerges from the pandemic and…
Driver Scarcity Isn’t New, but It’s Bad as Ever
Trucking companies have struggled with hiring enough qualified drivers to meet demand for decades, but this past year has been especially challenging for several reasons. This driver shortage is hampering…