Arkansas Tax Collections Up 3.5%

DALLAS - Arkansas' year-to-date revenues through November are running 3.5% above last year's levels, the state Department of Finance and Administration reported Dec. 3.

At $2.04 billion, available general revenues for the fiscal year that began July 1 are $69.6 million above the receipts over the same period in 2012.

Year-to-date gross collections total $2.4 billion, an increase of $80.1 million or 3.5% above last year, officials said. Gross general revenues are above forecast by $25.9 million or 1.1%.

Income taxes are running 2.5% ahead of last year at $1.115 billion or 0.2% above forecast. Sales and use taxes total $914.3 million, an increase of $36.1 million or 4.1% from last year and $2.2 million or 0.2% above forecast.

One dour note is unemployment. Over the past year, unemployment rates in Arkansas have been on the rise, the Web site Arkansaseconomist.com reported Dec. 10.

Statewide, the rate has risen from 7.2% in October 2012 to 7.5% in October 2013. Among the state's metro areas, only Fort Smith has seen a net decline in unemployment over the same period, while Jonesboro was unchanged. Unemployment rates have risen in all of the other seven metro areas, with notable increases in Pine Bluff, Texarkana, Memphis and Hot Springs, the analysts reported.

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Arkansas
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