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
President's Message: Learning From Our District
Barkin, Tom (2023-04)
My Richmond Fed colleagues and I are on the ground in our district constantly, meeting and learning from community members. Last year, we had over 1,700 such engagements — with bankers, business and community leaders, workers, and public officials. These meetings take us to every corner of the states we serve.
Econ Focus , Volume 23 , Issue 2Q , Pages 1

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
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
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: Making It Work
Barkin, Tom (2022-01)
This issue of Econ Focus is a special issue on the economic challenges of rural areas and small towns. I spend a lot of time in these communities, meeting with local leaders — in government, business, and nonprofits — to learn from them about the issues they face and, often, the solutions that have worked for them. (During the pandemic, our meetings have been socially distanced.) What I have seen consistently is that success does not come from a single program or initiative. The places that are making it work have several key elements in common: a story, regional cooperation, and ...
Econ Focus , Issue 1Q , Pages 1

Journal Article
President's Message: How Long Will Higher Inflation Last?
Barkin, Tom (2022-10)
For the first time in more than a generation, we are grappling with high, broad-based, and persistent inflation.The pandemic and events like Russia's invasion of Ukraine unleashed shocks that affected supply chains and labor markets, pushing prices and wages up. In response to the pandemic, $6 trillion of fiscal stimulus was enacted, fueling demand and limiting labor supply. And some have argued the Fed's pandemic response was too expansionary for too long — that we were caught off guard after the prior decade of stubbornly low inflation.
Econ Focus , Volume 22 , Issue 4Q , Pages 1

Journal Article
Business Short-Termism and Monetary Policy
Barkin, Tom (2019-04)
President's Message: Business Short-Termism and Monetary Policy
Econ Focus , Issue 2Q-3Q , Pages 1-1

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

Briefing
President's Message: A Unique Moment for Small Towns
Barkin, Tom (2022-04)
Every month, I visit small towns and hear from business and community leaders about what's working, what's not working, and what they need. In my previous column, I looked at the key elements I've seen in every small town that has made major progress toward revitalization: a story, regional cooperation, and dedicated funding, all tied together by "scrappiness." (See "Making It Work," Econ Focus, First Quarter 2022.) Now, I'd like to take a deeper dive into the issue of funding, because money is the one critical constraint every community faces, across every issue.
Richmond Fed Economic Brief , Issue 2Q , Pages 1-2