Timely Topics

In this podcast, Joseph Mengedoth, regional economist at the Richmond Fed, joins St. Louis Fed economist and Assistant Vice President Charles Gascon and Little Rock Regional Executive Matuschka Lindo Briggs to discuss economic insights in the Beige Book released on Jan. 14.

The St. Louis Fed's Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, offer economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

How do households react to economic surprises? While inflation affects all consumers, unexpected inflation spikes can have a more significant impact on some households than others. “For some households that find it hard to move resources around or borrow or adjust their savings, unexpected inflation will have a large effect on them,” says St. Louis Fed economist Yu-Ting Chiang. In this episode, Chiang previews his upcoming research on the effects of unexpected inflation shocks and their impact on households.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, offer economic insights from the latest Beige Book release highlighting the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

What happens if U.S. dollars are spent overseas and stay there? Senior economic policy advisor Christopher Neely analyzes how much U.S. currency is held abroad and if that’s a problem or an advantage for the U.S. Neely discusses the level of U.S. banknotes kept overseas and explains why those dollars can act as an interest-free loan.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, offer economic insights from the latest Beige Book release with a focus on the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release with a focus on the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

Even if they have good grades and excellent standardized test scores, are low-income students more or less likely to accept an offer letter from a highly selective college? While the question is simple, the answer is complex and at times surprising. “What we see is that they instead end up enrolling in a less-selective college despite being accepted into a top college,” says St. Louis Fed Economist Ricardo Marto says. In this episode, Marto previews his forthcoming research into how income can affect where students apply and ultimately which offer letters they accept.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, economist and research officer, discuss economic insights from the latest Beige Book release with a focus on the Arkansas region and the Eighth District.

What is a soft landing, and how do we know if one is possible? In this episode, St. Louis Fed Economic Policy Advisor Paulina Restrepo-Echavarría unpacks that question and explains the importance of the Beveridge curve, an economic indicator that represents the relationship between the unemployment rate and the job openings rate. She’ll also discuss how a historic change in job openings prompted her and a colleague from the Dallas Fed to explore how the Beveridge curve could be expanded to analyze whether a soft landing is possible.

The St. Louis Fed's Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Charles Gascon, senior economist, discuss economic insights about the Arkansas region and the Eighth District from the latest Beige Book release.

What patterns emerge when you zoom out and look at more than 80 years of data on income and housing? The answer is both nuanced and surprising. “Many members of these newer generations seem to be starting off their careers in smaller metro areas,” said St. Louis Fed economist Victoria Gregory. “These early in life location patterns are interesting because location choice is usually driven by job opportunities and affordability concerns.” In this podcast, Gregory reveals what did and didn’t change regarding income, home ownership rates and, ultimately, where people decided to live across four different generations.

The St. Louis Fed’s Matuschka Lindo Briggs, senior vice president and regional executive of the Little Rock Branch, and Thomas Walstrum, senior business economist at the Chicago Fed, discuss their insights about economic conditions in Arkansas and the Fed’s Seventh District.

How does population decline affect both short- and long-term economic growth? “There is a concern among developed countries that this may have an impact on productivity,” said Juan Sanchez, senior economic policy advisor at the St. Louis Fed. “But there is not a lot of research on that.” In this podcast episode, Sanchez discusses his research about how population decline impacts productivity, a key driver of economic growth.