The economic recovery in central Arkansas accelerated in 2015, with job growth surpassing the national average since March, said Metroplan, the federally designated planning agency for Pulaski, Faulkner, Saline and Lonoke counties.
“By September of 2015, regional jobs had reached a new high of 353,100,” according to Metroplan’s report “Metro Trends: Economic Review and Outlook,” released last month. The report examines economic trends for the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a focus on the future of work in central Arkansas.
Job growth last year was concentrated in the services: professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and education and health, as the accompanying chart shows.
“The mining and construction sector (mainly construction) ranked second among regional job-gainers in the past year, showing strong gains after several years of losses during the 2009-2010 recession and the ensuing slow recovery,” the report says.
More information can be found at Metroplan.org.