by Michael Pakko | Dec 9, 2021
The Arkansas legislature adopted major income tax legislation this week, with the accomplished goal of lowering the marginal tax rate on high incomes from 5.9% in 2021 to 5.5% in 2022, with further reductions scheduled for subsequent years that would reduce the top...
by Michael Pakko | Oct 22, 2021
The latest report on Arkansas employment and unemployment included positive news along several dimensions. The number of unemployed and the unemployment rate declined, and both the household and payroll surveys showed increases in employment. The headline news was a...
by Michael Pakko | Oct 14, 2021
The annual data on state-level Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) were published last week by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The data for Arkansas reaffirm our observation that Arkansas consumers maintained relatively high levels of spending during the depths...
by Michael Pakko | Sep 21, 2021
Arkansas Retail Sales increased by 2.5% in June, remaining well above spending levels of a year earlier and well above pre-pandemic levels as well. Total Retail Trade and Food Service sales were up 13.0% from June 2020 and up 27.1% from the 2019:H2 average. The data...
by Michael Pakko | Aug 31, 2021
Arkansas Retail Sales declined slightly for a second month in May, but remained well above levels of a year ago or before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Total Retail and Food Services Sales were down 3%, following a 3.4% decline in April. The two monthly...
by Michael Pakko | Apr 12, 2021
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic we haven’t been tracking home sales on a regular basis, but housing markets have been following a roller-coaster ride along with every other sector of the economy. Housing Market Reports from the Arkansas Realtors®...