Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis | Economic Data, Monetary Rates, Economic Education

U.S. Economic News—Week of Oct. 15

Minutes of the latest FOMC meeting are released Wednesday. Data releases include retail sales (Monday) and housing starts (Wednesday).
Fiscal Policy and Inequality

In our Timely Topics podcast, economist Miguel Faria-e-Castro explains the basics of fiscal policy and touches on its link to inequality.
Soybeans and Trade

In 2017, the District’s farmers grew 19 percent of U.S. soybeans. American growers now face uncertainty after China recently imposed a 25 percent tariff on the commodity.
Housing Prices and Personal Income

Read why housing markets in some Upper Midwestern major metro areas now offer the best relative values, on average, nationwide.

From The President

BIO Latest Remarks and Interviews All Speeches, Presentations and Commentary

October 08, 2018

Some Consequences of the U.S. Growth Surprise

In Singapore, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard discussed the surprisingly strong performance of the U.S. economy relative to the FOMC’s March 2017 projection. This growth surprise has been a factor in allowing the FOMC to normalize its policy rate along a projected path, he said.
Presentation (pdf) | Press Release
October 03, 2018

Welcoming Remarks: Community Banking in the 21st Century

St. Louis Fed President James Bullard welcomed community bankers, regulators and researchers to the sixth annual community banking research and policy conference. “The changing landscape of financial services is an important reason for this conference,” he said.
Remarks (pdf)

Understanding the Roots of the U.S. Trade Deficit
Third Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
The rise of the U.S. dollar as an international reserve currency and a shift in comparative advantage in manufacturing are key economic changes driving the large U.S. trade deficit.
Some Basics on Sovereign Debt and Default

Why do governments borrow? What happens when a country defaults on its debt? How does a country get out of a debt crisis? Economist Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria explains.
A Tale of Two Economies: Farmers Struggle despite Strong U.S. Economy
Third Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
Dropping commodity prices have caused U.S. farm income to plunge in recent years. Relatively steady farmland prices, however, have helped farmers stay solvent.
Women in Economics: Gail Heyne Hafer

Hafer, an economics professor at St. Louis Community College-Meramec and author of children’s books about economics, talks about how teaching economics has evolved over the past 30 years.
Fiscal Policy's Link to Inequality

St. Louis Fed economist Miguel Faria-e-Castro talks about rising inequality in both income and wealth in the United States and how we compare to other countries.
Taking a Closer Look at U.S. Exports to China
Third Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
Civilian aircraft, soybeans, motor vehicles and microchips are the biggest U.S. exports to China, and production of these goods is geographically concentrated. In the case of soybeans, 10 states produced 79 percent of the U.S. crop in 2016.
Soybeans, the Eighth District’s No. 1 Crop, Caught in Trade Tussle
Third Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
In 2017, the District’s farmers grew 19 percent of the country’s soybeans. But China recently imposed a 25 percent tariff on soybeans, creating uncertainties for U.S. growers.
Bankruptcy Rules and “Medicaid Churn” Affect Saving of Families Planning for Medical Bills
In the Balance
The use of bankruptcy to avoid medical bills and the sometimes transient nature of Medicaid play a role in low-income families’ decisions about saving.