by Michael Pakko | Apr 23, 2021
Despite a sharp drop-off in automobile purchases, Arkansas Retail Sales increased sharply in January (seasonally adjusted). Total Retail and Food Service Sales increased 6.1% from December. Compared to a year earlier, sales were up 11.2%. National Retail Sales...
by Michael Pakko | Mar 29, 2021
One of the most significant and unexpected features of the Arkansas economy during the COVID-19 pandemic has been the robust behavior of consumer spending. Despite sharp increases in unemployment and losses in earnings, Arkansas consumers maintained and even exceeded...
by Michael Pakko | Mar 29, 2021
Tracking the economies of states and regions is often limited by the availability of data. In the recent context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated economic dislocations, economists have found the development of new sources of information to be increasingly...
by Michael Pakko | Feb 26, 2021
Of all the sectors of the economy that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, industries in the Leisure and Hospitality category have been among the hardest-hit. These industries continue to show persistent declines in sales and employment, with many...
by Michael Pakko | Feb 26, 2021
Of all the sectors of the economy that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, industries in the Leisure and Hospitality category have been among the hardest-hit. These industries continue to show persistent declines in sales and employment, with many...
by Michael Pakko | Oct 5, 2017
The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported yesterday that Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) rose by 3.9% in Arkansas in 2016. Nationwide, the growth rate was 4.0%. PCE is not adjusted for inflation, so after accounting for a 1.2% increase in prices from 2015 to...
