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

U.S. Economic News—Week of Nov. 19

Data releases this week include housing starts (Tuesday) and jobless claims and durable goods (Wednesday).
An Interview with Lael Brainard

In this podcast, Gov. Brainard talks about her time as the U.S. representative to the G20, her focus on financial stability and more.
Cotton, Cash and the King

In our podcast, Regional Executive Douglas Scarboro talks about how our Memphis Branch has changed over the past 100 years.
Field trip friendly

Teachers from the greater St. Louis area stopped by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently for the first-ever Museum Econ Ed Teacher Open House.

From The President

Latest Remarks Speeches, Presentations and Commentary Bio

2018:Q4

President’s Message: A Year in Review

A brief look at some key policy presentations by St. Louis Fed President James Bullard in 2018: on r-star, the Phillips curve, the yield curve, the U.S. growth surprise and monetary policy rules.
Article
October 18, 2018

Modernizing Monetary Policy Rules

Speaking in Memphis, St. Louis Fed President James Bullard discussed modernizing a popular monetary policy rule to account for three important macroeconomic developments since the 1980s.
Presentation (pdf) | Press Release | Video | Photos

The Role of Age in Determining Stock-Bond Investment Mix
Fourth Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
Economic reasoning suggests that people should invest heavily in stocks when young and then shift to less-risky bonds as they grow older. Yet U.S. households don’t appear to be following this investment pattern.
Dealing with the Leftovers: Residual Seasonality in GDP
Fourth Quarter 2018 | Regional Economist
Residual seasonality in gross domestic product can make it difficult for policymakers to know whether weak first-quarter GDP growth is due to an actual downturn or a reported number that is understated.
Women in Economics: Una Osili

In this podcast, Osili discusses growing up in Nigeria and the intersection of economics and philanthropy.
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.
Cotton, Cash and the King – 100 Years of the Memphis Branch

Regional Executive Douglas Scarboro talks about how the Branch has changed—from cotton receipts to cash services to the King himself, Elvis Presley. Listen to the podcast.
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.