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Fort Smith Metro posts record jobs but growth remains narrow, UAFS economist says

Fort Smith Board of Directors · March 10, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Kendall Ross of the UAFS Center for Economic Development told the board unemployment is 4.4% and total nonfarm jobs are at a 20‑year high (about 105,200), with recent gains concentrated in leisure & hospitality and trade/transportation; Ross emphasized population constraints and proposed training programs to boost capacity.

Kendall Ross, associate vice chancellor for economic and workforce development at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, told the board the Fort Smith metro has reached a record number of jobs but that growth is concentrated and constrained by population trends. "Unemployment is 4.4%. Total non farm jobs, 105,200," Ross said in his opening headlines, calling the market "stable" but capacity‑constrained.

Ross said the recent job gains are…

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