Jobless rate at 3.6% in NW Arkansas
The unemployment rate in Northwest Arkansas dipped to 3.6 percent in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday.
It was the lowest rate for the area since it fell to 3.4 percent in November 2007. The rate was 4.6 percent in August 2014.
Arkansas' unemployment rate was 5.4 percent in August and the national rate was 5.1 percent.
Two other metropolitan areas in Arkansas saw unemployment rates below 5 percent. Unemployment rates in the Little Rock and Jonesboro areas were 4.4 percent in August, down from 5.4 percent in Little Rock and 5.5 percent in Jonesboro a year ago.
Other August unemployment rates compared with August last year were: Texarkana, 4.4 percent, down from 6.4 percent; Hot Springs, 5.2 percent, down from 6.2 percent; Fort Smith, 5.4 percent, down from 5.9 percent; and Pine Bluff, 7.5 percent, down from 8.3 percent.
-- David Smith
Roadcheck event finds fewer offenses
Out-of-service violations for vehicles and drivers dropped to historic lows during the International Roadcheck 2015 event, according to the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance.
Inspectors conducted 69,472 inspections -- including 44,989 of the 37-step North American Level I inspections -- during the three-day program held June 2-4. The thorough Level I inspections revealed 3.6 percent of drivers and 21.6 percent of vehicles inspected had out-of-service violations, which was the lowest rate the agency has on record dating back to 1991.
An out-of-service violation is a condition that presents an "imminent hazard" and removes the driver or vehicle from the road until the violation is corrected.
Collin B. Mooney, the executive director of the alliance, said in a statement nearly 17 trucks or buses were inspected every minute during the event.
-- Robbie Neiswanger
14 advancers push state index up 1.32
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 1.32 to 314.06 Wednesday.
Fourteen stocks rose and four declined.
Tyson Foods climbed 3.1 percent on average volume.
Bank of the Ozarks advanced 1.8 percent in heavy trading.
P.A.M. Transportation Services fell 3.3 percent in active trading.
Deltic Timber fell 3.1 percent on average volume.
Total volume of the index was 22.1 million shares.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business on 10/01/2015