Speaking of the Economy

Zach Edwards and Felipe Schwartzman share what they have learned about how much businesses have been passing along higher prices for their inputs — especially due to higher tariffs in 2025 — to the prices they charge their customers. They also discuss how this cost pass-through could affect overall inflation. Edwards is a research analyst and Schwartzman is a senior economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

John O'Trakoun discusses recent trends in the pricing of rental housing and what rents tell us about overall inflation as well as housing markets on the national and local levels. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Sergio Correia discusses his research on the causes of bank failures and his use of a novel set of historical data to evaluate two different but intertwined potential causes — insolvency of the bank and a run on deposits. Correia recently joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond as a senior economist.

At the Richmond Fed's sixth annual Investing in Rural America Conference, three communities in Virginia and North Carolina shared how they have used on-demand microtransit to address the lack of public transportation options that create barriers for residents without cars.

Andy Bauer and John Bailey Jones discuss the factors that have shaped the demand for and supply of labor in recent years. They also talk about the barriers to labor force participation in Maryland, including lack of affordable child care and housing. Bauer is vice president and regional executive for the Baltimore branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis.

Marina Azzimonti discusses the complexities of measuring the regional and sectoral impacts of tariffs and reviews the rapid series of changes to U.S. trade policy since the beginning of 2025. Azzimonti is a senior economist and research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Davy Sell and Anthony Tringali discuss the housing needs of community college students and the challenges these institutions face in meeting the demand for affordable options. Sell is a research analyst and Tringali is a research associate at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

At the Richmond Fed's sixth annual Investing in Rural America Conference, child care providers and experts shared the challenges of providing affordable, quality early care and education in rural communities, as well as solutions they have developed.

Grey Gordon and Felipe Schwartzman discuss the creation and evolution of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy framework and the Fed's current review of the framework. Gordon and Schwartzman are senior economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Joseph Mengedoth provides an overview of the economic contributions of agriculture in the rural parts of the Fifth District. Mengedoth is a regional economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.