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This department of Econ Focus profiles the Richmond Fed's research, community development, and economic education activities.


Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2024

The Richmond Fed has been closely studying the housing sector, with a focus on small towns and rural communities. What obstacles does the region face and what role can the Richmond Fed serve?

Econ Focus, Third Quarter 2024

The Richmond Fed's Center for Advancing Women in Economics launched a fellowship program this year as part of its multifaceted approach to raising the visibility of women economists.

Econ Focus, First/Second Quarter 2024

The Rural Investment Collaborative aims to increase economic investment in small towns and rural communities throughout the Fifth District by providing investment training and improving access to capital.

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2023

CDFIs were created to improve credit access for underserved communities, but little was known about their impact. The Richmond Fed launched the CDFI Survey to fill that data gap for the Southwest region.

Econ Focus, Third Quarter 2023

Understanding the economic effects of technological change — and of the world-changing disruptions that new technologies may bring about — is important for central bankers.

Econ Focus, Second Quarter 2023

Since becoming President of the Richmond Fed in 2018, Tom Barkin has made spending time throughout the Fifth District his goal. One of the ways the Richmond Fed's research department supports this goal is through an event series known as Community Conversations.

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2023

With the American population aging, Richmond Fed economists are attempting to improve their understanding of the economic decisions facing older people — decisions that are likely to become increasingly important for the U.S. economy as the population distribution skews older.

John Mullin

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2022

Every quarter, The CFO Survey collects the views of chief financial officers and other financial leaders throughout the United States, gathering insight into their firms’ financial outlook and concerns, as well as their perceptions of the economy.

Econ Focus, Third Quarter 2022

A brief review of the development of the Hornstein-Kudlyak-Lange Non-Employment Index, an alternative to the standard unemployment rate that includes all non-employed individuals and accounts for persistent differences in their labor market attachment.

John Mullin

Econ Focus, Second Quarter 2022

Eight times a year, Richmond Fed economists, along with visitors from universities and policy institutions throughout the world, gather in Richmond for CORE (Collaboration of Research Economists) Week.

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2022

Richmond Fed economist Toan Phan studies the effects of climate change on economic growth and financial stability.

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2021

Rural America Week brings together community leaders, policymakers, and representatives from financial institutions and foundations.

Econ Focus, Second/Third Quarter 2021

The Richmond Fed has been working to educate policymakers and workers in the Fifth District about benefits cliffs

Neeraja Deshpande

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2020

Richmond Fed economists are using novel approaches to understand racial wealth differences

Brandon Fuller

Econ Focus, Second/Third Quarter 2020

The Richmond Fed's museum teaches students about the roles that individuals and the Federal Reserve play in the economy.

Hailey Phelps

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2020

Researchers and community development experts moved quickly to understand how COVID-19 affected Fifth District communities.

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2019

The Richmond Fed is working to understand how economic outcomes vary across different regions and different groups of people.

Econ Focus, Second/Third Quarter 2019

Richmond Fed economist Borys Grochulski researches the effects of shadow banking on bank liquidity regulation

John Mullin

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2019

Economists at the Richmond Fed study diverging trends in national and local market concentration

Econ Focus, Fourth Quarter 2018

Richmond Fed economist Toan Phan explores why recessions tend to follow asset bubbles

Eric LaRose

Econ Focus, Third Quarter 2018

Richmond Fed economists have created a framework to measure the costs of a large firm's failure

Econ Focus, Second Quarter 2018

Huberto Ennis of the Richmond Fed examines how frequently banks borrow from the discount window

Helen Fessenden and Renee Haltom

Econ Focus, First Quarter 2018

Richmond Fed economist Zhu Wang asks why so many ATM networks disappeared after the mid-1980s


Index displays all content, which dates back to 2018.