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

U.S. Economic News—Week of Oct. 22

The Fed’s Beige Book is released Wednesday. Data releases include durable goods (Thursday) and third quarter GDP (Friday).
Two Economies

While the overall U.S. economy continues to strengthen, farm income has plunged about 40 percent since 2013.
Faster Payments Event

At 1 p.m. Nov. 14, we’re hosting a town hall to discuss actions the Fed could take to facilitate real-time interbank settlement of faster payments.
Back to Class

Listen to our latest Women in Economics podcast episode to hear a seasoned economics professor talk about how teaching has changed over 30 years.

From The President

BIO Latest Remarks and Interviews All Speeches, Presentations and Commentary

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
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

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

Our Memphis regional executive, Douglas Scarboro, talks about how the Memphis Branch of the St. Louis Fed has changed over the past 100 years—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.
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.