Informing Monetary Policy and Economic Decisions

At the St. Louis Fed, we believe an engaged public is essential to a healthy economy.

In 2025, our Research division provided in-depth economic analyses that served as important input to U.S. monetary policy discussions and to the public’s awareness of prevailing economic conditions. Our economic data tools—including FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)—also supported the public’s understanding of the economy by providing 24/7 access to data releases and other timely information.

President Musalem’s Public Remarks and Outreach

St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem shared his views on the U.S. economy and monetary policy during several public events in 2025. He also connected with people across the Eighth District through one-on-one meetings, roundtable conversations and tours to learn more about various economic sectors and communities. These interactions gave him economic insights that he brought to the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) as he represented the District in monetary policy deliberations.

St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem (second from left) and Douglas Scarboro (left), regional executive of our Memphis Branch, visit a family farm in Glendora, Miss., during August 2025.

Research for a Better Understanding of the Economy

St. Louis Fed economist Chuck Gascon records a Beige Book podcast episode with a focus on the Arkansas region in April 2025.

In 2025, St. Louis Fed research economists were constantly monitoring regional economic conditions. One specific effort was the Eighth District’s Beige Book, which captured prevailing economic conditions based on anecdotal reports from key District contacts. The Beige Book was published before each of the eight FOMC meetings in 2025.

Economists also published data and research that offered timely insights about the U.S. economy—including analysis of inflation, labor market conditions, household finances, trade policies, and much more.

This research and analysis appeared in several publications.

• Review is the St. Louis Fed’s journal of scholarly research that examines monetary policy, macroeconomics and other economic topics. The most widely viewed journal articles in 2025 covered the economic effects of a potential armed conflict over Taiwan, what led Fed Chairman Paul Volcker to pivot from the monetary policy tightening approach in the 1980s and monetary policy implementation with ample reserves.
• St. Louis Fed On the Economy^® blog offers frequent commentary, analysis and data from our economic experts. Some of 2025’s most popular blog posts explored the impact of generative AI on work productivity, the broad rise in delinquent credit card debt and AI’s possible contribution to rising unemployment.
• Our Open Vault blog explains everyday economics and the Fed. Some of the most popular posts in 2025 featured economists’ research and insights, including the jobs and degrees of underemployed college graduates and generative AI, productivity and the future of work.

Your Trusted Source for Economic Data

Economic Education specialist Diego Mendez-Carbajo (left) fields questions from attendees during an August 2025 Dialogue with the Fed event on FRED. Tim Lloyd of our Communications & Engagement division moderates the discussion.

In 2025, the St. Louis Fed’s Research team added 15,000 more data series to FRED, our award-winning economic database that includes more than 840,000 U.S. and international time series from 118 national, international, public and private sources. Our researchers brought these time series to life by sharing related insights and analysis on the FRED Blog, which attracted more than 665,000 page views in 2025.

Among the St. Louis Fed’s family of information services is FRASER, our digital library of U.S. economic, financial and banking history—particularly the history of the Federal Reserve System. FRASER expanded its collection by more than 36,000 historical items in 2025.