(July 2024) The incredible growth of Arkansas’ Construction sector illustrates the importance of infrastructure to economic development.(1)
Construction’s relationship to infrastructure is long-established in the study of economics. A remarkable fact emerges from analysis of hundreds of pages of public data: Arkansas is a national leader in new Construction jobs.
Following are media highlights that cite the Policy Foundation’s research.
“This week’s issue, with an emphasis on infrastructure, comes at an interesting time … In much of the country, construction cooled in the last two years, thanks in large part to inflated input costs, labor shortages and a slowdown in the real estate market. Arkansas, though, has seen a swift rise in construction jobs since the start of the pandemic in 2020 … The Natural State ranked 10th … according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data by the Arkansas Policy Foundation.”
Arkansas Business weekly. “A Delicate Dance.” July 15, 2024
“Info in The Compass Report for the first quarter of 2024 suggests that Arkansas’ construction sector could be “a major Arkansas business story.”
Talk Business. ‘Remarkable growth’ noted in Arkansas’ construction sector to begin 2024.” June 13, 2024
“Builders and contractors are looking for workers to keep up with the increased demand for building …”
Michigan Information & Research Service. June 24, 2024
— Greg Kaza
(1) Other economic development factors include tax rates, a skilled work force, a non-arbitrary regulatory environment, the rule of law, and property rights.
