Economic Trends & Conditions in the Fourth District
Analysis, commentary, and data on issues that concern the residents and businesses of the eastern Midwest — Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Economic Conditions
- Sticky prices signal subdued inflation
- Some prices are "sticky," meaning they don't respond to changing market conditions as quickly as other, more "flexible" prices. According to Federal Reserve researchers Michael Bryan and Brent Meyer, these sticky prices are useful when trying to discern where inflation is heading. Looking at the "sticky price" components of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the researchers say that "subdued for some time" -- language from the last FOMC statement -- sums up expected price trends nicely. They note that while a core flexible-price measure of the CPI has risen recently, the growth rate of the core sticky-price CPI continues to decline. Read more
Economic Growth
- Workshop on Entrepreneurial Finance: A Summary
- This Policy Discussion Paper summarizes papers that were presented at the Workshop on Entrepreneurial Finance, which was held March 12–13, 2009, at the Federal Feserve Bank of Cleveland. Researchers presented new empirical research that exploits data sets on entrepreneurial activity that are based on broad and representative data samples. Papers in the workshop focused primarily on analyses of the sources and structure of start-up finance, including the importance of bank lending, venture capital, angel investors, and owner equity. Read more (PDF)
Education
- Differences in Educational Attainment across States
- The Growth of Cities in the Fourth District
- Universities, Innovation, and Economic Growth: Synopsis
- Paths to Prosperity: Knowledge Is Key for Fourth District States (PDF)
- See all Education content
Financial Literacy
- Do Financial Education Programs Work? (PDF)
- State and Local Anti-Predatory Lending Laws: The Effect of Legal Enforcement (PDF)
- See all Financial Literacy content
Foreclosure
Government Finance
- Municipal Finance in Ohio (PDF)
- See all Government Finance content
Housing
- Why Didn’t Canada’s Housing Market Go Bust?
- Housing markets in the United States and Canada are similar in many respects, but each has fared quite differently since the onset of the financial crisis. A comparison of the two markets suggests that relaxed lending standards likely played a critical role in the U.S. housing bust. Read more (PDF)
Labor Markets, Unemployment, and Wages
- Ohio’s Labor Market Cycles
- Now that it appears that the worst of the “great recession’ is over, assessing the damage done to Ohio’s labor market offers insights into what a potential recovery might look like in the state. Read more
Manufacturing
- The Erie Metropolitan Statistical Area
- The Metal Working Industry
- Ohio s Automobile Industry
- Enforcement of Pollution Regulations in a Declining Industry (PDF)
- See all Manufacturing content
Metropolitan Area Profile
Regional Banking and Financial Institutions
- Fourth District Bank Holding Companies
- Understanding Ohio’s Land Bank Legislation (PDF)
- Fourth District Community Banks
- Fourth District Community Banks
- See all Regional Banking and Financial Institutions content
Trade
- Ohio Exports
- The sectoral and regional effects of oil shocks: who’s over a barrel? (PDF)
- See all Trade content