Journal Article
President's Message: Bringing Talent to Small Towns
Barkin, Tom (2023-07)
Over the last few decades, we've seen small towns struggle, particularly those that lost manufacturers, which had historically helped build communities, employ residents, and forge local identities. As a natural reaction, economic development in small-town America has often focused on replacing those big employers. These efforts attracted investment, but success wasn't easy.
Econ Focus , Volume 23 , Issue 3Q , Pages 1-2

Journal Article
President's Message: Flexible Work and Women's Participation
Barkin, Tom (2024-08-13)
When COVID-19 hit in 2020, one of the many shocks families faced was the closing of schools and child care centers. In many families, the burden of dealing with such shocks was disproportionately borne by the mom — so this sudden change hit women's labor force participation hard. Commentators labeled it a "she-cession."
Econ Focus , Volume 24 , Issue 3Q , Pages 1

Journal Article
President's Message: A Labor Drought?
Barkin, Tom (2023-01)
Following the economic pain of the pandemic, the economy has bounced back, supported by historic levels of fiscal and monetary stimulus. Unemployment has dropped and is now basically at pre-pandemic levels. Yet labor force participation has been slow to return.
Econ Focus , Volume 23 , Issue 1Q , Pages 1-2

Journal Article
President's Message: A Shift in the Inflation Winds?
Barkin, Tom (2022-07)
At the Fed, a lot of work has gone into anchoring inflation expectations in recent decades. As a result, our economy has seen, from the early 1980s until last year, an era of remarkably low and stable inflation — sometimes called "the Great Moderation."
Econ Focus , Volume 22 , Issue 3Q , Pages 1

Journal Article
President's Message: The Great Job Reshuffling
Barkin, Tom (2023-12)
Hiring has become easier than it was early last year. Yet everywhere I go, from farms to factories to ballparks, I still hear that labor is in short supply. And the numbers back this up: In February 2020, 61.1 percent of the population was employed. Today, that number is down 0.9 percentage points — equivalent to nearly 2.3 million fewer workers.If good workers remain hard to find, wages could rise further, pressuring margins and prices in turn. So it's important to understand what's happening in the labor market, and where it may go from here.
Econ Focus , Volume 23 , Issue 4Q , Pages 1-2

Journal Article
President's Message: Zooming in on Community Colleges
Barkin, Tom (2024-12-05)
Even as overall labor market conditions have normalized over the past year, employers in the skilled trades continue to report a lack of available workers. The overall supply of workers has improved, but the supply of workers with the right skills remains limited.Employers are not the only parties invested in strengthening the talent pipeline. Communities recognize that to be competitive, they need a strong workforce.
Econ Focus , Volume 24 , Issue 4Q , Pages 1-2

Journal Article
What’s Happening to Productivity Growth?
Barkin, Tom (2018-10)
President's Message: What?s Happening to Productivity Growth?
Econ Focus , Issue 4Q , Pages 01-01

Journal Article
The Supply Side of Rural Development
Barkin, Tom (2018-07)
President's Message: The Supply Side of Rural Development
Econ Focus , Issue 3Q , Pages 1-1

Journal Article
Taxes and the Fed
Barkin, Tom (2018-01)
Econ Focus , Issue 1Q , Pages 1-1

Journal Article
Trade and Trepidation
Barkin, Tom (2018-04)
President's Message: Trade and Trepidation
Econ Focus , Issue 2Q , Pages 1-1