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Regional Matters
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These articles provide an in-depth look at regional and national economic trends that matter to the Fifth District. Updates will be published several times a month.
August 10, 2018
Fifth District Firms Weigh In on Steel and Aluminum TariffsIn June 2018, the Richmond Fed asked its survey participants about the expected impacts of the tariffs imposed on imported steel and aluminum. While about half of the firms surveyed expected negative impacts to their own businesses and to the U.S. economy, there was a good portion of firms that believed the tariffs would be good for the overall U.S. economy, even if their firms would not directly benefit.
Joseph Mengedoth
July 31, 2018
Catching a Ride in the Fifth DistrictRide-sharing services, such as Uber and Lyft, have become a force to be reckoned with in the taxi industry. While these services have run into regulatory spats with government agencies and continue to deal with company image issues, they have grown markedly, particularly in and around the Washington, D.C., metro area.
Caitlin Dutta
June 29, 2018
Caution: Pipeline Construction AheadNatural gas production has experienced tremendous growth over the last decade in the U.S. and West Virginia and continues to grow. In West Virginia, six new pipeline projects have been proposed. How will these pipelines service the natural gas market, and how long until they are in service? What has the impact been on job growth and wages?
May 31, 2018
The Adoption of Digital Technology: Survey of Fifth District FirmsIn April, we surveyed firms about their adoption of technology and how it might translate into prices and employment in the next few years. Most firms reported adopting new technology, although many did not anticipate the technology to notably impact their pricing or employment decisions.
May 9, 2018
Industry Diversity in CitiesCharlotte, N.C., has the most diverse industrial mix of any Fifth District city, while Bennettsville, S.C., is the least diverse. This post explores the forces that lead to industry diversity in cities.
Michael Stanley
April 20, 2018
Payroll Revisions in the Fifth DistrictRevised employment data show fewer jobs added in the Fifth District than originally reported. By December 2017 (the most recent month revised), total employment was revised lower by 75,300 jobs or 0.5 percent.
Michael Stanley
March 23, 2018
Through the Looking Glass: South Carolina's Labor Market RecoveryDecember 2017 marked the 10-year anniversary of the start of the economic downturn which would ultimately evolve into the Great Recession. As bad as the Great Recession was nationally, South Carolina's descent into the trough was steeper. And its recovery has been more impressive, particularly in the Charleston and Upstate regions.
February 28, 2018
New Indexes in Monthly Business SurveysBeginning with the release of our February 2018 survey results, we began to report a few new variables in our Fifth District Survey of Manufacturing Activity and Fifth District Survey of Service Sector Activity. What are they and what can they tell us?
Roisin McCord
February 20, 2018
Update: Educational Attainment in the Fifth DistrictIn 2016, every Fifth District jurisdiction, along with the nation, saw an increase in the share of the over-25 population with a bachelor’s degree or higher. What else changed since 2015?
Joseph Mengedoth
January 19, 2018
What's Up With Housing?Ten years after the housing market collapse, activity in the single-family market remains somewhat subdued. Despite rising prices and low inventories, single-family construction has increased very gradually. Are there impediments to new housing supply?
Joseph Mengedoth
(804) 697-2860
Sonya Ravindranath Waddell
Director of Regional Economics
(804) 697-2694
