By Caleb Taylor Arkansas is doing relatively well so far compared to the rest of the nation in weathering the economic shocks from COVID-19 since March, according to UCA Assistant Professor of Economics Jeremy Horpedahl. Horpedahl, an ACRE Scholar, spoke to attendees of a webinar hosted by Americans for Prosperity-Arkansas on May 11 about economic […]
How Will Arkansas’s Labor Market Change after the CARES Act?
By Caleb Taylor How will unemployment insurance increases in the CARES Act affect the labor market in Arkansas? Jeremy Horpedahl, assistant professor of economics at the University of Central Arkansas, called the $600/week bonus unemployment benefit included in the law “the most significant support from the federal government for individuals suffering from the economic slowdown, […]
Is Arkansas Prepared for a Recession?
By Caleb Taylor How could Arkansas be better prepared for the next recession? Keep increasing the state’s Long Term Reserve Fund balance and improve its deposit and withdrawal rules, according to UCA Assistant Professor of Economics and ACRE Scholar Dr. Jeremy Horpedahl. Horpedahl joined Jay Bir of Capitol View on KARK on March 8 to […]
Why Arkansas’s Long-Term Reserve Fund May Not Weather the Next Rainy Day
By Dr. David Mitchell In a recent op-ed for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, I pointed out that families need to have rainy day funds to provide for any loss of income. Similarly, when state governments have unexpected general budget shortfalls, they need a way to pay for them. And in the same way that families may […]
Good Data is Vital to Public Policy
by Aaron Newell ACRE Policy Analyst Jacob Bundrick recently wrote how better access to data can lead to better policy outcomes in Arkansas. In “Data holds the key: Good analysis vital for policy,” an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette op-ed on February 13, 2019, Bundrick explains that when it comes to targeted development incentives, Arkansas is lacking in […]
ACRE Releases New Data Guide for Arkansas Citizens
By Jeremy Horpedahl It can be tough to figure out what’s really happening in Arkansas’s economy. If you follow the news, you hear reports about the latest economic data all the time: Employment is up this month! Wages are stagnant! Poverty declined last quarter! This focus on the most recent data can be confusing or […]
What Do Governments Sacrifice to Give Businesses Subsidies?
By Caleb Taylor What are the trade-offs states make when offering economic development incentives to private businesses? Prof. Nathan Jensen discussed this and more on Tuesday, November 13th in the UCA College of Business auditorium to a crowd of over 70 attendees. Jensen is a Professor in the Department of Government at the University of […]
The Cost of Arkansas’s QACF
By Jacob Bundrick Since its creation in 2007, state officials have allocated more than $185.7 million to the Quick Action Closing Fund (QACF). The program, which allows the state to provide discretionary cash grants to select companies, is intended to attract and retain businesses in Arkansas. But have these millions actually increased economic activity? Research […]
QACF Brings “No Increases” In Employment, Bundrick Says
By Caleb Taylor What is the Quick Action Closing Fund (QACF) and what reforms should be considered to protect taxpayers? Jacob Bundrick, a policy analyst at the Arkansas Center for Research in Economics, was on the Conduit News radio program Wednesday morning to answer these questions and more. The QACF allows the state to provide […]
What Path Should Arkansas Take On Economic Development?
By Caleb Taylor Is there a “more proven path” Arkansas should take for economic development? ACRE Policy Analyst Jacob Bundrick says yes in an op-ed published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on March 19th. Arkansas officials should focus on “broad, comprehensive reforms to increase economic growth” rather than targeted economic development incentives. One example of an […]