Regional Matters

Firms are planning to maintain or increase their workforce in 2024, despite persistent hiring challenges and a recent downturn in short-run expectations. But how would this change if demand decreased unexpectedly?

In order to observe Fifth District community college outcomes, we decided to collect consistent data that would enable us to calculate a new success metric: the Richmond Fed Community College Success Rate.

Results from our 2023 CDFI Survey show that a majority of CDFIs nationwide and in the Fifth District would like to offer additional products or services but currently lack the resources to provide them on a sustained basis.

After a few months of positive readings, results from our business surveys turned downward in October. Still, firms are holding steady on hiring plans, at least for now.

We regularly report the quantitative results from the Richmond Fed business surveys, but participants' comments also provide useful context for changes in local business conditions.

In addition to differences in housing affordability, rural Fifth District households experience differences in housing quality by tenure and income.

In this article, we look at labor market activity within the Capital Beltway over the past three years to assess what might be contributing to the slower growth north of the Potomac River.

The STEM East initiative aims to show students in eastern North Carolina how they can stay and thrive in their home communities.

While the recent decline in rural homeownership affordability has challenged prospective buyers, many existing rural homeowners and renters are also burdened by their housing costs.

HEERF dollars helped community colleges and their students withstand pandemic disruptions. But schools that used the money for revenue replacement or other recurring items may have difficulty operating in a post-HEERF world.