The Compass Report is the only independent economic analysis of Arkansas’ top four metro areas (Central Arkansas, Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith region, and the Jonesboro region). The report measures four leading and four current economic indicators to provide a grade for a regional economy.
A key factor in understanding The Compass is in understanding the “grading” approach used to measure the current and leading economic indicators. The strategy is to place the most recent data in historical context. Average values for the percent change over the referenced time period were calculated, as were standard deviations for each measure.
Most key economic indicators in Arkansas’ three largest metro areas – central Arkansas, Fort Smith metro, and Northwest Arkansas – were moving in the right direction during the fourth quarter…
Arkansas’ real gross domestic product (GDP) output in the third quarter ranked 33rd among the 50 states as the state’s economy produced more than $123 billion in economic activity at…
Editor’s note: This story is a component of The Compass Report. The quarterly Compass Report is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and sponsored by Arvest Bank. Supporting sponsors of…
Job growth and gains in sales tax revenue in Northwest Arkansas and the central Arkansas metro areas continued into the third quarter of 2015, according to The Compass Report. The…
Editor’s note: This story is a component of The Compass Report. The quarterly Compass Report is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and sponsored by Arvest Bank. Supporting sponsors of…
Two of Arkansas’ largest metro areas continued to see economic improvements during the second quarter of 2015, with the Fort Smith metro economy falling back slightly because of poor job…
Gains in employment, sales tax collections and building permits resulted in the best combination of grades for Arkansas’ top three metro economies since the first quarter of 2012 when the…
Downtown development and raising expectations were at the core of discussions at the 2015 Compass Conference on Thursday (April 9) evening. Held at the historic Masonic Lodge in downtown Fort…
Economic conditions in Arkansas’ three largest metro areas were relatively healthy in the fourth quarter of 2014. Small improvements were seen in the central Arkansas and Fort Smith areas, and…
“Grudgingly slow” gains in the U.S. labor market, gains in business investment and increases in consumer spending during the fourth quarter of 2014 point to modest national economic growth in…
The combined value of building permits issued in Fort Smith, Greenwood and Van Buren during the first quarter of 2015 was up more than 50% thanks primarily to a $22…
The 2015 Compass Conference will focus on downtown Fort Smith development, with the soon-to-be-renovated Masonic Temple to provide a unique venue and format for sixth annual event. “Banking on Downtown…
Improved economic conditions and stable air fare rates in 2014 helped the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) set a new enplanement record, and helped the Fort Smith Regional Airport post…
Barring a surprise drop in November and December, travel and tourism tax collections in Fort Smith and Van Buren should end the year on a high note, and Arkansas’ 2%…
While not broad, improvements in employment, sales tax collections and tourism sector employment helped push positive economic trends during the third quarter of 2014 for Arkansas’ three largest metro areas….
Arkansas’ three largest metro areas showed either improvements or stability during the second quarter of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, according to The Compass Report’s analysis of…
Economic conditions in two of Arkansas’ three largest metro areas continue to be stable or improving, with central Arkansas – the state’s largest metro – continuing to show signs of…
The 2013 fourth quarter economy in the central Arkansas area received a grade of C- meaning that economic conditions declined slightly compared to the fourth quarter of 2012 and were…
Continued gains in employment and sales tax collections helped the Northwest Arkansas economy finish 2013 with a strong fourth quarter, according to The Compass Report. The fourth quarter 2013 grade…
The Compass Report for the fourth quarter of 2013 shows that small but broad based gains in key metrics has resulted in the Fort Smith regional economy finishing out 2013…