The Evolution of the Racial Gap in U.S. Life Expectancy
Sanghi, Siddhartha; Smaldone, Amy (2022-01-27)
White Americans live longer than Black Americans, but the gap has been narrowing. What has been driving that in recent decades?
On the Economy

How the Big Mac Index Relates to Overall Consumer Inflation
Ravikumar, B.; Smaldone, Amy (2024-04-11)
Big Mac inflation appears to track CPI inflation, but its path can diverge from overall U.S. inflation because of price deviations relative to other items in the consumer basket.
On the Economy

How Nonmonetary Job Amenities Improve with Higher Education
Leukhina, Oksana; Smaldone, Amy (2024-05-09)
Nonmonetary job amenities tend to improve in occupations that require higher levels of education, providing an additional reason for college enrollment.
On the Economy

Journal Article
Local Governments in the U.S.: A Breakdown by Number and Type
Smaldone, Amy; Wright, Mark L. J. (2024-03-14)
An analysis examines state variations in how the number and types of local governments in the U.S. have evolved since the 1940s.
The Regional Economist

Women’s Evolving Careers Helped Shrink the Gender Pay Gap
Leukhina, Oksana; Smaldone, Amy (2023-05-16)
The narrowing of the gender pay gap since the 1970s appears to be linked to women increasing their labor force attachment and shifting to higher-paying occupations.
On the Economy

The Pandemic’s Influence on U.S. Fertility Rates
Leukhina, Oksana; Smaldone, Amy (2021-11-04)
The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had a negative impact on fertility for U.S. women ages 30-34, though birth rates did increase among women ages 20-24.
On the Economy

Journal Article
The Role of Infant Mortality in Closing the Life Expectancy Gap
Ravikumar, B.; Smaldone, Amy (2024-02-21)
The difference in life expectancy between rich and poor countries has narrowed since 1970, owing in large part to decreases in infant mortality.
Economic Synopses , Issue 3 , Pages 2 pages

Are Developing Countries Facing a Possible Debt Crisis?
Wright, Mark L. J.; Smaldone, Amy (2023-09-05)
An analysis looks at whether developing countries are facing pressures similar to those in the 1980s, when higher interest rates helped trigger a wave of defaults in sovereign debt.
On the Economy

Economic Development and the Evolution of Mortality
Ravikumar, B.; Smaldone, Amy (2023-10-02)
Since 1960, the gap in GDP per capita between rich and poor countries has remained wide. Yet the gap in death rates has practically vanished during that period.
On the Economy