Regional Matters

Recent legislation has increased emergency rental assistance for renters struggling due to the pandemic, but efficient disbursement has been a challenge in many states.

Regional businesses are returning to pre-COVID-19 operations as workers return to the office and business travel picks up.

Community college enrollment declined significantly across the country in fall 2020, breaking the typical pattern of increased enrollment during a recession.

The economic recovery enabled by the vaccine rollout has increased demand for Fifth District goods and services. But can supply keep up with demand?

In Fifth District states, as in most of the nation, spending appears to be falling short of what is required to support students most in need.

Surveyed firms shared how the balance of remote versus in-office work has shifted in the past year and what changes they anticipate in the future.

K-12 remote learning exposes divisions in access to digital resources. A federal broadband service subsidy and new satellite technology may help bridge the gap.

An estimated 30 percent of Fifth District businesses are minority-owned, but this trails the minority share of the population.

Rural black Fifth District communities have long suffered fewer economic opportunities and thus worse economic outcomes.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, public school enrollment has decreased overall and across racial groups, with the steepest declines in grades Pre-K through elementary.