by - April 26, 2026 11:58 am
The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a decline, or moderation, in economic activity in the four Arkansas metro areas covered in The Compass Report. Higher unemployment numbers and less construction…
by - January 11, 2026 4:59 pm
Economic growth in Central and Northwest Arkansas continued to grow in the third quarter of 2025, with economic conditions in the Fort Smith and Jonesboro metros moderating or flat in…
by - September 20, 2025 9:30 am
Arkansas had overall economic growth during the second quarter of 2025, with the state earning a B- for the quarter, according to the latest The Compass Report. Non-farm employment was…
by - September 17, 2025 1:15 pm
The four Arkansas metro areas measured by The Compass Report continue to show economic growth in central and Northwest Arkansas, with economic activity moderating in the Fort Smith and Jonesboro…
by - June 29, 2025 10:53 am
The four Arkansas metro areas measured by The Compass Report continue to show economic growth, with moderation seen in employment and consumer spending during the first quarter of 2025. In…
by - April 3, 2025 11:03 am
The Arkansas economy “demonstrated continued resilience and solid growth” in the fourth quarter of 2024 thanks to overall job gains and “vigorous” construction sector activity, according to The Compass Report….
by - March 31, 2025 12:27 pm
Data from the four Arkansas metro areas measured by The Compass Report indicate moderation in fourth quarter 2024 economic activity, with sales tax revenue – a measure of consumer confidence…
by - January 10, 2025 2:43 pm
Arkansas’ economy in the third quarter of 2024 showed “balanced growth” and continued job gains, but declining sales tax revenue, which is a measure of consumer spending, is a concern,…
by - January 9, 2025 12:26 pm
The construction sector again was a strong part of Arkansas’ top four metro areas, with the regions continuing to see economic gains in the third quarter of 2024, according to…
by - September 13, 2024 1:53 pm
Arkansas’ economy in the second quarter of 2024 continued to see substantial gains in non-farm employment and the construction sector, while manufacturing and hospitality faced employment declines. According to The…
by - September 11, 2024 1:10 pm
Arkansas’ top four metro areas continued in the second quarter of 2024 to enjoy economic growth, albeit at a slower rate than in previous quarters, according to the latest The…
by - June 13, 2024 4:18 pm
Info in The Compass Report for the first quarter of 2024 suggests that Arkansas’ construction sector could be “a major Arkansas business story,” according to economist Greg Kaza. His view…
by - March 13, 2024 4:46 pm
Data from the fourth quarter The Compass Report shows that building activity, sales tax revenue and slightly muted job growth helped support healthy economies in Arkansas and the state’s top…
by - December 15, 2023 10:16 am
Resilience in most key economic factors resulted in Arkansas and the state’s four top metro areas continuing positive trends, with broad job gains being a primary growth driver, according to…
by - September 21, 2023 6:31 pm
Continued job growth and broad gains in sales tax revenue indicate resilient and healthy economies in Arkansas’ four top metro areas, according to the second quarter 2023 The Compass Report….
by - June 13, 2023 4:36 pm
Arkansas’ four top metro areas are healthy with “robust” and “stable” job growth a common factor in the regions, according to the first quarter 2023 The Compass Report. Job numbers…
by - June 4, 2023 3:28 pm
Talk Business & Politics and the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith are partnering to restart The Compass Report – the only independent economic analysis of Arkansas’ top four metro…
by - October 29, 2018 4:32 pm
Talk Business & Politics is partnering with the Arkansas State University Delta Center for Economic Development to continue producing the closely watched The Compass Report. The Compass Report is the…
by - July 8, 2018 7:13 pm
Arkansas’ two northern metro areas posted impressive economic growth in the second half of 2017, and three of the state’s four metro areas measured by The Compass Report posted job…
by - December 14, 2017 9:33 am
Editor’s note: Because of circumstances beyond our control, we did not produce The Compass Report for the first quarter of 2017. We apologize for any inconvenience. ––––––––––––––––––– Arkansas’ economy remained…
