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Journal Article
At the Richmond Fed: Going Beyond the Data
Data yield valuable insights into the economy. But what if economic changes are happening faster than the speed of data collection and reporting? The Richmond Fed has various outreach programs that continually monitor business activity throughout the Fifth District.One of the Bank's oldest programs is the industry roundtables. Groups of business leaders meet two to three times a year to provide firsthand, real-time feedback on the current state of the economy from the perspective of their companies and their industries. This human intel can provide advance notice of economic trends before ...
Journal Article
Economic History: The First Rung of Housing Markets
The concept of first-rung housing isn't new. Homeowners have rented out single rooms going back to our nation's colonial era. Widowers and empty nesters who had more space than they needed would turn their single-family homes into boarding houses, offering a warm bed and a hot meal to guests traveling through town."Early single-room rentals provided a mutually beneficial relationship," wrote Andrew Justus, a housing policy expert at the Niskanen Center, in a 2022 analysis. "The arrangement allowed newcomers and those who needed no-frills housing to access housing that met their immediate ...
Journal Article
At the Richmond Fed: Surveying Fifth District Businesses
Surveys can be a fun way to poll an audience about a range of current topics. But over a longer time horizon, they can become powerful tools of economic analysis.The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has conducted its regional surveys of business activity every month since 1993, making them the second longest-running regional surveys in the Federal Reserve System. (The Philadelphia Fed's manufacturing business outlook survey dates back to 1968.)
Journal Article
Charting Career and Education Pathways
Every high school senior faces the same fateful question: "What am I going to do after graduation?" More questions may follow such as, "What do I want to do for a living? How do I get started in that career? Can I afford any more school?"Asking the right questions and finding the answers is important not just for that student. A growing, productive economy needs people who are willing and able to invest in their career development and whose skills line up with the needs of the job market.
Journal Article
At the Richmond Fed: Researching Payments System Changes
The Federal Reserve has supported the smooth operation of the nation's payments system since its founding in 1913. It has done this by providing services directly — from distributing currency to processing checks and ACH, wire, and instant payments. It has also implemented regulations intended to maintain the system's safety and stability for all users. At the same time, the Fed has convened industry stakeholders and has worked with them to help the payments system meet the evolving needs of businesses and consumers.
Journal Article
Greyfield redevelopment : old malls seek new life
Journal Article
Grinding gears