Speaking of the Economy: Recent Episodes
Richmond Fed
Access to credit. Workforce development. Strengthening small towns.
We’re telling the economic stories of the people who live and work in the communities we serve. Join us each week as we explore these topics with economists and experts from our Bank and beyond.
Jay Langston discusses how rural communities in western Virginia have diversified the region from agriculture into pharmaceutical and other forms of manufacturing. Key ingredients of this economic progress include developing the local workforce, building relationships between local and state economic development organizations, and addressing quality-of-life issues. Langston is executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_08_05_shenandoah_valley
Daniel Davis talks about the barriers that rural communities face in fully realizing their economic potential and how economic development professionals have addressed those barriers. He also shares insights on this topic from the speakers at an Investing in Rural America webinar in June 2026. Davis is group vice president for regional economics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_15_rural_econ_dev
John Bailey Jones and Jason Kosakow discuss their research on how family members and friends give their time and money to help each other and how these transfers benefit households. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis and Kosakow is survey director, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_08_helping_hands
John O'Trakoun discusses the supply shocks resulting from the recent conflicts in the Middle East and how businesses and consumers have responded to these shocks. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_07_01_supply_shocks
Urvi Neelakantan describes how employment, income growth and consumption can differ between groups of households and reviews recent trends in this divergence of economic outcomes. Neelakantan is a senior policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_06_17_k-shaped_economy
Surekha Carpenter and Borys Grochulski discuss how community development financial institutions work to help underserved communities that lack adequate access to credit and what factors determine their success in filling market gaps. Carpenter is a senior research analyst and Grochulski is a senior economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_06_10_cdfi_market_failures
Marina Azzimonti discusses how digital currency like stablecoin and physical currency like the U.S. dollar are tied together, how the demand for one affects the other, and how this relationship plays out in global financial markets. Azzimonti is a senior economist and research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_06_03_stablecoin_dollars
Sonya Waddell and John Graham share their research on the adoption of artificial intelligence in the workplace, based on the expected and realized effects reported by the financial executives who participate in the CFO Survey. Waddell is a vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Graham is a finance professor at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and director of the CFO Survey.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_05_20_CFO_AI
Matt Martin and Erika Bell recall their visit to western North Carolina to learn more about revitalization efforts in response to long-term changes in the regional economy as well as the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Martin is a regional executive at the Charlotte office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Bell is the community development regional manager for North Carolina and South Carolina at the Richmond Fed. Also in this episode, Scott Webber, town manager of Spindale, N.C., shares how he has worked with community partners to support redevelopment in the region.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_05_13_redevelopment_western_nc
Claudia Macaluso explains how economists identify the points of expansion and contraction in the national economy and how the current business cycle differs from past cycles. Macaluso is a senior research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_05_06_business_cycles
Surekha Carpenter and Bethany Greene discuss the connections between the health of workers and the health of labor markets in rural communities. Carpenter is a senior research analyst and Greene is a regional economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_04_15_rural_health_employment
For the 200th episode of Speaking of the Economy, four economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond share their current research and how that work connects with the Fed's mission: Nicholas Trachter on the growth in firm size, Urvi Neelakantan on the relationship between going to college and investing in the stock market, Russell Wong on the impact of AI on employment, and Horacio Sapriza on the ability of central bank communications to stabilize financial markets.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_04_08_what_are_you_working_on
Renee Haltom shares what the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has learned from its business contacts and regional surveys about the impact of trade policy changes since last April. Haltom is a regional executive and vice president of sensing, engagement and publications at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_04_01_tariffs
Stephanie Norris and Davy Sell review the latest results of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's Survey of Community College Outcomes, which examined the variety of ways that these colleges served different types of students and communities in the Fifth District as well as in five states outside of this region. Norris is a regional economist and Sell is a regional analyst, both at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_03_18_community_college_survey
Suzanne Holland talks about the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's recent visit to Martinsville to learn about the economic challenges and opportunities in the city and surrounding communities in southern Virginia. Kate Keller describes one issue in the region — the shortage of affordable housing — and the unique approach to the problem taken by her organization, the Harvest Foundation. Holland is a senior outreach specialist at the Richmond Fed and Keller is president of the Harvest Foundation.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_03_11_affordable_housing_rural_virginia
Zhu Wang discusses the emergence of "buy now, pay later" installment loans and shares his research on the potential impacts of this payment option on the credit risks of individuals and the stability of financial markets. Wang is vice president for research in financial and payment systems at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_03_04_buy_now_pay_later
Thomas Lubik reviews how widely used macroeconomic data like GDP is compiled and updated, and how the revision process strikes a balance between decisionmakers' needs for timeliness and accuracy. Lubik is a senior advisor in the Research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_02_18_data_revisions
Pierre-Daniel Sarte and Sonya Waddell discuss the pricing data that the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond gathers from its monthly surveys of regional business activity and how that data can be used to inform inflation forecasts. Sarte is a senior advisor and Waddell is a vice president and economist, both at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_02_11_predicting_inflation
Andy Bauer and Amy Liu discuss the direct and spillover economic effects of the recent reductions in federal employment and spending on the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Bauer is a regional executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Liu is a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and co-author of the DMV Monitor.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_02_04_federal_govt_cuts
Zhu Wang and Russell Wong discuss the shutdown in the production of pennies in the U.S. and their research on how the penny's demise is expected to impose costs on consumers. Wang is vice president for research in financial and payments systems and Wong is a senior economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_01_21_penny
Anna Kovner, director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, reviews the significant, rapid changes in trade policy, immigration policy, and the size of the federal workforce in 2025. She also discusses how the Richmond Fed has assessed the economic impact of these changes through its research and outreach programs.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_01_14_kovner_year_later
Huberto Ennis provides an updated view of the Federal Reserve's management of its balance sheet and the flow of reserves between banks, which were the focus of a recent conference held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Ennis is group vice president for micro, macro and financial economics at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2026/speaking_2026_01_07_balance_sheet_update
Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, looks back at 2025 and the resilience of the U.S. economy in the face of uncertainty and changes in the economy, including trade policy, consumer sentiment, and labor market demand and supply. He also discusses how monetary policymakers have navigated the year.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_12_17_barkin_year_in_review
Erika Bell and Hunter Jones describe the importance of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond connecting with small towns and rural communities throughout the Fifth District, including those in western North Carolina recovering from Hurricane Helene. Bell is a community development regional manager and Hunter is a senior business analyst. In addition, Russ Harris of the Southwestern Commission Council of Governments and Nathan Ramsey of the Land of Sky Regional Council reflect on the value of their partnerships with the Richmond Fed and other regional organizations, both before and after the hurricane.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_12_10_partnerships_wnc
John Bailey Jones and Urvi Neelakantan discuss the decline in the movement of workers from one place to another, and possible explanations and policy solutions for the decline. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis and Neelakantan is a senior policy economist, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_12_03_geographic_mobility
Alexander Wolman discusses the Federal Reserve's recent unveiling of its revised Statement of Policy Goals, highlighting what has changed and what has remained consistent with past statements. Wolman is vice president for monetary and macroeconomic research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_11_19_fed_framework_followup
Daniel Davis talks about the importance of understanding the economies of small towns and rural areas. He also discusses the work that the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has done to examine these economies and connect with community leaders, including the recent launch of the Richmond Fed's Center for Rural Economies and Investing in Rural America webinar series. Davis is group vice president for regional economics at the Richmond Fed and director of the center.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_11_12_rural_center
Andy Bauer, Renee Haltom, and Matt Martin share what they are hearing about economic conditions from their business contacts in the Fifth District. They also discuss variations in conditions by sector and region as well as how businesses currently view labor markets and price levels. Bauer, Haltom, and Martin are regional executives at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_11_05_what_biz_are_saying
Surekha Carpenter and Taylor Pessin share their initial learnings about community development financial institutions that responded to the 2025 CDFI Survey, which is conducted every other year by the Federal Reserve. Carpenter is a senior research analyst and Pessin is an intermediate research analyst, both on the Regional and Community Analysis team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_10_22_cdfi_survey
Thomas Lubik discusses how inventories are tracked at the firm and aggregate levels and what fluctuations in these levels over time tell us about the health of the overall economy. Lubik is a senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_10_15_inventories
Bethany Greene describes the flow of federal funds into Fifth District communities as transfer payments, from healthcare and Social Security benefits to unemployment insurance payments. In particular, she discusses regional variances in communities' reliance on this funding, especially those in rural areas. Greene is a regional economist at the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_10_08_federal_transfer_payments
Doug Borland and Stephanie Mehlhouse share insights from the 2024 Survey and Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, which was compiled by the Federal Reserve to provide a comprehensive picture of payment preferences and behavior in the United States. Borland is assistant vice president of cash services and Mehlhouse is a senior cash manager, both based at the Charlotte office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_09_17_payments_trends
Mary Donnan and Victor Farmer discuss two projects in the Fifth District that illustrate the challenges of economic development in rural communities and the importance of philanthropic organizations in addressing those challenges. They also reflect on how the Richmond Fed's Community Investment Training program helped move the projects forward. Donnan is executive director of the Alleghany Foundation and Farmer is director of the Boone Memorial Health Community Foundation.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_09_10_rural_philanthropy
Claudia Macaluso shares what she has learned about young people who are not employed, in school, or undergoing training, and what potential interventions could bring these disconnected youth into the workforce. Macaluso is a senior research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_09_03_disconnected_youth_labor
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_08_20_tariffs_inflation
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_08_13_rent_inflation
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_08_06_bank_failures
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_07_23_rural_microtransit
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_07_16_labor_force_participation
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_07_09_tariffs
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_06_18_community_college_housing
At the Richmond Fed's sixth annual Investing in Rural America Conference, childcare providers and experts shared the challenges of providing affordable, quality early care and education in rural communities, as well as solutions they have developed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_06_11_rural_childcare
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_06_04_fed_framework
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.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_05_21_farming
Nicolas Morales, Horacio Sapriza, and Chen Yeh take listeners behind the scenes on how they work with detailed, confidential datasets about businesses and individuals. They also discuss how they gain insights on topics like immigration, credit markets, and labor productivity while safeguarding privacy rights. Morales is an economist, Sapriza is a senior economist and policy advisor, and Yeh is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_05_14_fed_data
Stephanie Norris and Matthew Wells discuss their recent research on workforce development programs at community colleges that are aimed at helping the incarcerated re-enter the workforce after they are released. Norris is a senior research analyst and Wells is a senior economics writer, both at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_05_07_community_colleges_incarcerated
Zach Edwards and Daniel Weitz discuss the concerns that chief financial officers across the country reported about their own companies and the national economy in the latest CFO Survey. Edwards is a research analyst on the Regional and Community Analysis team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Weitz is a csurvey director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_04_23_cfo_survey_tariffs
John O'Trakoun and Adam Scavette discuss their new approach to gauging the health of the economy and the likelihood that a recession is taking place before other indicators would detect it. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Scavette is a community development economic advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_04_16_sos_recession_indicator
Pierre-Daniel Sarte and Thomas Lubik discuss their research on the components of productivity growth, how that growth has varied over time and across industries, and how much it will benefit from the use of artificial intelligence. Sarte and Lubik are senior advisors in the Research Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_04_09_productivity_growth
Job Boerma shares a model for how poor mental health affects the economic decisions of consumers and the economy as a whole. Boerma, an assistant professor in economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, presented his research at a recent CORE Week at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_03_26_economic_toll_mental_illness
Chen Yeh provides an update on the longevity and broader impacts of the surge in start-ups during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeh is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_03_19_startup_surge_update
Vanity McDaniel and Jennifer Stadler provide a snapshot of how consumers pay for goods and services today and reflect on the latest technology trends in the U.S. payments system, including contactless payments, digital wallets, "buy now, pay later," instant payments, and the use of artificial intelligence. McDaniel is a senior payments business advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Stadler is executive vice president of marketing and membership at PaymentsFirst.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_03_12_electronic_payments
Renee Haltom and Sonya Waddell share what recent surveys and conversations with Fifth District contacts reveal about the expectations of businesses for their own prospects and the economy as a whole, as well as firms' concerns about inflation, labor markets, and other potential issues in 2025. Haltom is a regional executive and vice president and Waddell is a vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.,
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_02_19_economic_outlook
Emily Corcoran and Jen Giovannitti discuss the demand and supply factors that influence the financing of community development in rural areas, as well as the issues that impede the flow of capital into the places that need it. Corcoran is a senior manager of regional and community analysis at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Giovannitti is president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_02_12_rural_investment
Marina Azzimonti discusses the rise in the cost of borrowing for countries following the COVID-19 pandemic and the broader implications of this trend for emerging countries, especially those that don't have strong governmental institutions. Azzimonti is a senior economist and research advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_02_05_sovereign_debt
Amanda Neitzel and Santiago Pinto report on the progress of students after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, differences in the persistence of learning losses, and efforts to remediate these losses. Neitzel is an assistant research professor at the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University, while Pinto is a senior economist and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_01_22_pandemic_learning_losses
Ricardo Reis discusses how swap lines have supported the flow of U.S. currency into global financial markets to meet their liquidity needs and the dollar's prominence in those markets, especially during the 2007-08 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Reis is an economics professor at the London School of Economics and a long-term consultant at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_01_15_fed_swap_lines
Laura Ullrich and Stephanie Norris dive into the initial results of the 2024 Survey of Community College Outcomes, including information on completion rates, transfer rates, and enrollment at more than 120 community colleges in five states. Ullrich and Norris are the director and associate director, respectively, of the Richmond Fed's Community College Initiative.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2025/speaking_2025_01_08_comm_college_survey
Bethany Greene and Jason Kosakow review the damage wrought on communities in western North Carolina and other parts of the Fifth District from Hurricane Helene last September. They also share what their business contacts have told them about Helene's economic impacts, both within and outside of the hurricane's path. Greene is a regional economist at the Charlotte branch of the Richmond Fed and Kosakow is the Bank's survey director.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_12_18_hurricane_helene
John Bailey Jones and Urvi Neelakantan discuss their research on the living arrangements of older individuals and the implications of these homeowners aging in place for wealth accumulation and housing markets. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis and Neelakantan is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_12_11_aging
Felipe Schwartzman explains how he and other economists define the natural rate of interest, what factors have influenced this theoretical estimate of where long-term interest rates will settle, and what it tells us about how the cost of savings and borrowing will respond as monetary policy normalizes after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_12_04_interest_rate_normalization
For our 150th episode, Anna Kovner reviews her career path to becoming the research director at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and reflects on the work of the Bank's Research department. Kovner also offers her views on various topics — including the banking turmoil of 2023, the Fed's "lender of last resort" role, current risks to the financial system, and the "neutral rate" of interest — as well as the current state of the national economy.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_11_20_kovner
Alaina Barca and Surekha Carpenter examine the decline in the number of bank branches in certain communities and the economic effects of that trend. They also share data from the Banking Deserts Dashboard developed for the Fed Communities website. Barca is a community development research analyst at the Philadelphia Fed and Carpenter is a research analyst at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_11_13_banking_deserts
Erika Bell and Emily Corcoran discuss the capital needs of small business owners and recent insights yielded by the Federal Reserve's annual Small Business Credit Survey. Bell is community development regional manager for North Carolina and South Carolina and Corcoran is senior manager of regional and community analysis, both at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_11_06_small_business_credit
Toan Phan reviews the risks faced by banks from the increased frequency and intensity of floods and other extreme weather events, and how banks and financial markets have responded to those risks. Phan is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_10_23_banks_flood_risk
Deborah Diamond and Adam Scavette discuss how anchor institutions such as universities and hospitals fit into the economic life of communities. Diamond is director of the Anchor Economy Initiative at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and Scavette is a regional economist at the Baltimore office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_10_16_anchor_institutions
Anne Davlin discusses the current state of lending to the commercial real estate sector in the Fifth District, including the challenges faced by office building and multiunit housing developers and the ensuing risks posed to their lenders. Davlin is a senior quantitative analyst in the Richmond Fed's Supervision, Regulation and Credit department.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_10_09_commercial_real_estate
Tom Barkin, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, looks back on recent economic trends and how they have shaped the current state of the national economy. Topics include return to work, technology adoption and its implications for labor productivity, the surge in new business formation, and the Richmond Fed's current efforts to understand the economy better. (Note: This episode was recorded before the September 2024 FOMC meeting and the August jobs data release.)
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_09_25_barkin
Pierre-Daniel Sarte and Sonya Waddell share survey results on businesses' use of AI tools and other forms of automation, and research on the potential effects of automation on the nation's overall productivity growth. Sarte is a senior advisor and Waddell is a vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_09_18_automation
Katarína Borovičková and Claudia Macaluso describe their research on differences in wage growth between workers as they progress in their careers. Borovičková and Macaluso are economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_09_11_career_ladders
Sierra Stoney outlines the factors that have recently driven up premiums for homeowners insurance, adding pricing pressure to housing markets. Stoney is a senior research analyst on the Regional and Community Analysis team at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_08_21_homeowners_insurance
David Cox, Adin Hammond and Tyrese Wheaton describe their summer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond interning in three different departments.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_08_14_summer_interns
Chen Yeh discusses the differences in how much power companies have in labor markets and how that affects employees and their wages. Yeh is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_08_07_monopsony
Jason Smith, senior community development advisor at the Richmond Fed, discussed the results of the first round of the Bank's Community Investment Training, which helps rural communities obtain funding for their economic and community development projects. He also shared his interview with one of the program's participants, Craig Sewell of the Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_07_24_coaching_rural_communities
Stephanie Norris and Laura Ullrich explain how an effort to make it easier for prospective college students to apply for federal financial aid has had ripple effects on enrollment at community colleges and other institutions of higher education. Norris is a senior research analyst and Ullrich is a senior regional economist at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_07_17_fafsa
Andy Bauer and Renee Haltom talk about why consumers and businesses are telling a different story about the economy than the data suggests. They also discuss how economists reconcile such differences between sentiment and data. Bauer and Haltom are regional executives at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_07_10_how_is_the_economy_really
Borys Grochulski and Zhu Wang discuss the compensation structure of real estate agents and how that has shaped the homebuying process and the housing market in general. Grochulski is a senior economist and Wang is vice president for research in financial and payments systems at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_06_26_real_estate_agent_compensation
Host Tim Sablik shares some of the key insights from community development experts at the Richmond Fed's fifth annual Investing in Rural America Conference. The event was held in Roanoke, Va., in May 2024.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_06_19_ira_recap
Jason Kosakow and Adam Scavette review the economic effects of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on the national, regional, and local level. Kosakow is the Richmond Fed's survey director and Scavette is a regional economist at the Bank's branch office in Baltimore.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_06_12_key_bridge_collapse
Alexander Wolman discusses the Federal Reserve's establishment of an inflation target in 2012 and how that has fit within the Fed's evolving monetary policy framework. Wolman is vice president for monetary and macroeconomic research at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_05_22_inflation_target
Taylor Bennett and Kim Reed describe how community development organizations in West Virginia use land banks to bring new economic activity to abandoned property. Bennett is executive director of the West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation and Reed is executive director of the Nitro Land Reuse Authority.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_05_15_land_banks
Daniel Weitzner, an information security expert at MIT, discusses the cyber threats to the financial services industry and the challenges of measuring and modeling those risks. He also shares learnings from a recent conference co-hosted by MIT, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and the Federal Reserve System Board of Governors.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_05_08_cyber_risks_financial_sector
Adam Scavette, a regional economist at the Baltimore branch of the Richmond Fed, and Keith Waters of George Mason University discuss their analysis of migration patterns in Maryland and how they might help explain a significant reduction in the state's workforce since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_04_17_outmigration_maryland
Richmond Fed economist Santiago Pinto discusses what economists have learned about policies intended to promote economic development in specific communities. He also outlines the intended and unintended spillover effects beyond the targeted communities.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_04_10_place_based_policies
Richmond Fed economist Nicolas Morales shares his research on immigration policy and how the regulation of the flow of information technology workers from India to the United States during the 1990s benefited both countries' IT sectors.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_04_03_immigration_it_india
Laura Ullrich and Jacob Walker review data they have gathered from the Richmond Fed Survey of Community College Outcomes about high school students who take dual enrollment classes. They also discuss difference in how these classes are funded.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_03_20_dual_enrollment
Richmond Fed economist Nicholas Trachter shares his research on the market concentration and power of firms and whether the increased concentration in national markets has reduced competition in local markets.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_03_13_market_concentration
Felipe Schwartzman and Sonya Waddell discuss their research on the relationship between inflation and firms' expectations for their costs and prices, informed by the responses to special questions added to the Richmond Fed's business surveys since 2021.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_03_06_inflation_expectations
Yaa Opoku-Agyeman of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Rachel Lee of Uber Eats talk about their careers as economists and how they have applied their research and analysis skills to address everyday issues.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_02_21_econ_in_action
Richmond Fed economist John Bailey Jones shares what he has learned about the savings decisions of people when they're single compared to when they're married, particularly during retirement.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_02_14_marriage_retirement
Richmond Fed economists Andreas Hornstein and Marios Karabarbounis discuss their research on unemployment insurance (UI), most recently on the disincentive effects of the substantial expansion of UI benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_02_07_unemp_insurance
Workforce development was a major topic of conversation when Matt Martin and Erika Bell recently met with business and community leaders in Pickens County and Oconee County, South Carolina. In this episode, Martin and Bell discussed what they learned during their visit. Two local workforce development leaders — Jeromy Arnett and Ray Farley of Alliance Pickens — also shared their stories.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_01_24_workforce_development
John O'Trakoun reviews different ways of tracking inflation that are intended to screen out noise and provide a more accurate forecast of price levels. He also discusses his unique approach to capturing this key economic indicator. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_01_17_measuring_inflation
Thomas Lubik and Christian Matthes discuss how economists wrestle with measuring the natural rate of interest or r-star, why this measure is important for monetary policymakers, and how their model has evolved to better chart the path of interest rates. Lubik is a senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Matthes is a professor of economics at Indiana University.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2024/speaking_2024_01_10_natural_rate
Kartik Athreya, the Richmond Fed's research director, answers questions submitted by listeners about housing, the Fed's bond purchases, interest rate targeting, and artificial intelligence.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_12_20_ask_richmond_fed
Claudia Macaluso discusses the surge in workers doing their jobs at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing effects of the remote work option on labor markets and the economy as a whole. Macaluso is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_12_13_remote_work
Tim Sablik, host of the Speaking of the Economy podcast, reviews the five most popular episodes of 2023 that explored topics beyond inflation and monetary policy.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_23_06_greatest_hits
Laura Ullrich provides an update on the Richmond Fed Survey of Community College Outcomes, which aims to provide more accurate and detailed data on the performance of community colleges and their students. Ullrich is a senior regional economist at the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_11_29_survey_community_colleges
Paul Ho talks about how countries are connected to each other through international trade and how these connections help spread economic shocks across the globe. Ho is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_11_15_cross-country_spillovers
Jarrod Elwell and Jason Smith share what the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has learned about the financing needs of rural parts of the Fifth District and how the Bank's Rural Investment Collaborative and other programs help community leaders address those needs. Elwell is a community development manager and Smith is a senior community development advisor at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_11_08_rural_development_finance
Tom Bilston and Tony Murray discuss how banks use machine learning, chat bots and other forms of AI as well as what these technological innovations mean for bank examiners, both in terms of the risks they monitor and how they do their job. Bilston is Assistant Vice President and Horizontal Team Lead, LISCC Program, Capital Retail Credit; and Murray is SRC Strategy, Risk and Innovation Team Lead at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_10_25_ai_banking
Andy Bauer and Danny Twilley discuss the research they are doing to better understand gaps in the housing markets of rural communities and small towns and the unique challenges they face in addressing these gaps. Bauer is vice president and regional executive for the Baltimore branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Twilley is assistant vice president of economic, community and asset development for the Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at West Virginia University.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_10_18_rural_housing
Santiago Pinto provides preliminary evidence of learning losses among K-12 students during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also discusses the causes, distribution and consequences of these losses. Pinto is a senior economist and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_10_11_pandemic_learning_losses
Sonya Waddell and Chen Yeh provide an update on credit market conditions, based on recent results of the CFO Survey and other surveys of borrowers and lenders. They also discuss the macroeconomic forces that shape the supply and demand sides of the market, including the current round of monetary policy tightening. Waddell is a vice president and economist and Yeh is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_09_27_credit_crunch
Stephanie Norris explains the concept of social capital, its value in the economic development of communities and the challenges of measuring it. Norris is a senior research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_09_20_social_capital
Marina Azzimonti and Arantxa Jarque, director and associate director of the Center for Advancing Women in Economics, discuss the Center's recent launch at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the need for such an organization within the economics profession. Azzimonti is a senior economist and research advisor and Jarque is a senior policy economist at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_09_13_advancing_women_economics
Borys Grochulski and John O'Trakoun share the latest data on the market for office buildings and commercial real estate in general. They also discuss the current state of lending to office developers and whether the rise in office vacancies poses risks to the broader economy. Grochulski is a senior economist and O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_08_23_office_market
John Bailey Jones discusses his recent research on the relationship between marital status and the labor force participation of men. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_08_16_marriage_male_labor
Paul Ho talks about how economists model the interactions between monetary policy and the economy and the challenges of determining the economic effects of policy with precision. Ho is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_08_09_monetary_policy_uncertainty
Nicolas Morales discusses his research on supply chains and the factors that can help them resist and recover from economic shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic. Morales is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_07_26_supply_chains
Grey Gordon discusses his research on sovereign debt, the economic consequences of an increase in the cost of that debt, and the implications for the United States in the wake of the recent debt ceiling debate. Gordon is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_2023_07_19_government_debt
On the 100th episode of the podcast, three leaders of the Richmond Fed 's Research department — Kartik Athreya, Huberto Ennis and Ann Macheras — share the research paper that had a major impact on their careers and the economics profession in general. Paper topics range from bank runs to insuring against risks to knowledge spillovers.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_07_12_papers
And Bauer, Renee Haltom and Matt Martin share what their business contacts have told them about regional economic conditions in the Fifth District. Bauer, Haltom and Martin are regional executives at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_06_28_regional_update
Anita Brown-Graham describes the key components of lasting development in rural communities. She shared these insights in her keynote at the Richmond Fed's Investing in Rural America conference in April 2023. Brown-Graham is a professor of public law and government and director of ncIMPACT at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_06_21_rural_developments
Aubrey George, Conner Mulloy and Sean McCrary share their experiences as research associates supporting the economists in the Research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. George and Mulloy are completing their second year as RAs while McCrary is a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania.
Full transcript and related links: https://richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/2023/speaking_06_07_23_research_associates
Vanity McDaniel provides an update on FedNow, the first new payments platform launched by the Federal Reserve in 50 years, and why the Fed decided to facilitate real-time or "instant" payments in the financial system. McDaniel is a senior payments business advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcripts and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_05_24_fednow
Hugo Hopenhayn discusses his research on the factors that affect the entry and exit of firms in a market, as well as the reallocation of labor and other resources that results from this "creative destruction." Hopenhayn is a professor of economics at UCLA and a long-term consultant at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_05_17_birth_death_firms.
Jeremy Hoffman of the Science Museum of Virginia and Toan Phan at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond share their research on the relationship between redlining and the risks of extreme heat and flooding. They also discuss other ways that the economy intersects with the climate around us and the actions that communities can take to make themselves more resilient in the face of climate change.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_05_10_extreme_weather
Surekha Carpenter discusses why adequate access to credit is important for individuals and the economy overall, what contributes to gaps in access, and how community development financial institutions have addressed those gaps. Carpenter is a research analyst on the Regional and Community Analysis team at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_04_19_unequal_credit
Jason Kosakow and Sonya Waddell discuss the expectations of regional and national business leaders about the economy, based on responses to the CFO Survey and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond's regional business surveys during the first quarter of 2023. Kosakow is the Richmond Fed's survey director and Waddell is a vice president and economist who oversees the regional and community development research team.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_04_12_business_expectations
Gadi Barlevy discusses recent research on the potential tension between the Fed's roles in maintaining low, stable prices and providing liquidity when financial markets are in trouble. Barlevy is a senior economist and economic advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He was interviewed on Feb. 8, 2023, before the spate of bank failures that occurred in March 2023.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_04_05_financial_price_stability
Santiago Pinto discusses his research on commuting patterns in the Fifth District and how these patterns may help us better understand the economic connections between rural and urban communities. Pinto is a senior economist and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_03_15_commuting
Robert Hetzel reviews the evolution of monetary policymaking through the lens of his new book, The Federal Reserve: A New History. In part two of this two-part discussion, he focuses on the Fed's policies during the Great Inflation and the Great Moderation and after the Great Recession, as well as the role of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond during these periods. Hetzel was a senior economist and research advisor at the Richmond Fed from 1975 to 2018.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_03_08_monetary_history_2
Robert Hetzel looks at the evolution of monetary policymaking through the lens of his new book, The Federal Reserve: A New History. In part one of this two-part conversation, he discusses the Fed's policy shifts in the two decades following the Treasury-Fed Accord of 1951 and the role of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond during that period. Hetzel was a senior economist and research advisor at the Richmond Fed from 1975 to 2018.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_03_08_monetary_history_1
Greta Harris and Jim Tobin offer their perspectives on the housing market, from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent increases in mortgage rates to the continuing challenge of building affordable housing. Harris is president and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition and Tobin is executive vice president and chief lobbyist for the National Association of Home Builders.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_03_01_housing
Ethan Bullard tells the story of Maggie L. Walker, focusing on her legacy as a bank executive, entrepreneur and activist who fought systemic discrimination against women and blacks. Bullard is curator at the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site in Richmond, Va.
Tom Barkin discusses the state of inflation and the monetary policy response of the Federal Reserve, as well as his outlook on the national economy. Barkin is president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Sierra Latham and Sarah Gunn discuss the current shortage of teachers nationally and in the Fifth Federal Reserve District, how supply-demand forces have contributed to this labor market gap, and what is happening in response. Latham is a senior research analyst and Gunn is director of economic education at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Chen Yeh discusses the factors that have contributed to an increase in new business formation during the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic implications of this entrepreneurship surge. Yeh is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_01_18_startups
Huberto Ennis explores how the Federal Reserve used its asset purchases to deal with market disruptions and the unprecedented economic issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also discusses why and how the Fed is unwinding these purchases. Ennis is group vice president for macro and financial economics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_01_11_balance_sheet
Claudia Macaluso and Sonya Ravindranath Waddell discuss recent challenges in finding and retaining workers, and how businesses have changed their recruitment tactics, adjusted wages, and made other changes in response to these challenges. Macaluso is an economist and Waddell is a vice president and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2023_01_04_tight_labor
Joanne Hsu talks about the widely followed Surveys of Consumers and the information they provide on inflation expectations. Hsu is director of the surveys and a research associate professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. She was a panelist at the "Demystifying Inflation" session of the Richmond Fed's District Dialogues event series on November 7, 2022.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_12_21_consumer_surveys
Adam Scavette provides an approach to interpreting news coverage of the economy and applies that framework to the major economic stories of 2022. Scavette is a regional economist based at the Baltimore, Md., branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_12_14_economics_news
Jason Kosakow and Santiago Pinto describe how survey data is gathered and used to assess regional and national economic conditions. Kosakow is survey director and Pinto is a senior economist and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_12_07_surveys
Carrie Cook describes the role of the Federal Reserve System in the community development sector and how the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond partners with communities to fulfill this role. Cook became the Richmond Fed's community affairs officer and vice president of community development in 2022.
Full transcript and related links: https://richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_11_23_community_development
John O'Trakoun and Pierre-Daniel Sarte discuss the persistence of inflation over the years and what may set apart the current period of elevated prices compared to historical patterns. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist and Sarte is a senior advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_11_16_inflation_persistence
Horacio Sapriza discusses a new measure of conditions in credit markets and how shocks in those markets affect the broader economy. Sapriza is a senior economist and policy advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_11_09_credit_sentiment
Kartik Athreya responds to recent critiques of the Federal Reserve and its efforts to combat inflation. Athreya is executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_10_19_fed_inflation
Russell Wong discusses the emergence of stablecoin as an alternative to more volatile cryptocurrencies in the financial system. Wong is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_10_12_stablecoin
Chang-Tai Hsieh and Tao Zha share their research on China's economy and financial system, and discuss the country's growth during the last decade as well as its recent regulation of private firms and banks. Hsieh is a professor of economics at the University of Chicago, while Zha is executive director of the Center for Quantitative Economic Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a professor of economics at Emory University.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_10_05_china
Grey Gordon discusses his research and other economists' work on the macroeconomic and policy factors that shape the price of higher education. Gordon is a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_09_14_college_tuition
Does everyone have the same set of choices when it comes to retirement and other financial decisions pertaining to aging, and is there anything we can do about disparities in access to those choices? Charles Gerena posed these questions to the three panelists from the District Dialogues event in August 2022 titled "The Economics of an Aging America."
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_09_07_aging
Andy Bauer reviews economic conditions in Maryland, the District of Columbia and West Virginia, based on recent conversations with local contacts and analysis of the data. Bauer is a vice president and regional executive at the Richmond Fed, with responsibility for business and community engagement in these parts of the Fifth Federal Reserve District.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_08_24_maryland_dc_wv
Renee Haltom offers an overview of economic conditions in Virginia, based on her recent conversations with local contacts and analysis of the data. Haltom is a vice president and regional executive at the Richmond Fed, with responsibility for engagement with businesses and communities in Virginia.
Full transcript and related links: https://richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_08_17_virginia
Matt Martin provides an update on economic conditions in North Carolina and South Carolina, based on his recent conversations with local business contacts and analysis of the data. Martin is the regional executive based at the Richmond Fed's Charlotte office.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_08_10_carolinas
Sierra Latham and Stephanie Norris discuss the challenges of collecting socioeconomic data on small towns and rural areas, how data analysts address them, and the value of that work in analyzing and improving the Richmond Fed's understanding of these communities. Latham and Norris are senior research analysts on the Regional and Community Analysis team at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_07_27_data
Toan Phan discusses the current state of research on climate economics and how the effects of climate change are reflected in financial markets. Phan is a senior economist at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_07_20_climate_change
John O'Trakoun offers an update on where inflation stands, how it is affecting the economy, and what steps the Federal Reserve is taking to bring it down. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Richmond Fed and primary author of the Bank's Macro Minute blog.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_07_13_inflation
Sonya Ravindranath Waddell shares insights from the latest survey of chief financial officers and other financial decision-makers at companies across the United States. Waddell is a vice president and economist at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_06_29_cfo_survey
Andreas Hornstein and Thomas Lubik discuss their research on changes in the labor market since the pandemic. Hornstein and Lubik are senior advisors at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_06_22_labor_markets
Nicolas Morales reviews his research on the economic role of non-native workers in rural areas. Morales is an economist at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_06_15_rural_immigration
Laura Ullrich and Jason Kosakow discuss how community colleges contribute to their local economies, especially rural communities, and how their new survey addresses knowledge gaps about these important contributions. Ullrich is a regional economist based at the Richmond Fed's Charlotte office and Kosakow is the Bank's survey director.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_06_08_community_college_survey
Kelly Bowers, economic development director for Hertford County, N.C., discusses the challenges and opportunities facing her community. She highlights the importance of collaboration across state lines and the need for infrastructure such as broadband and affordable housing to support growth.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_05_25_rural_collaboration
Alex Wolman and Robert King reflect on the life and legacy of Marvin Goodfriend. Throughout his career, Goodfriend wrote a number of influential papers on monetary policy and played a key role in the development of the Richmond Fed's Research Department. Wolman is vice president for monetary and macroeconomic research at the Richmond Fed and King is a professor of economics at Boston University.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_05_18_goodfriend
Host Tim Sablik discusses his recent research on the value of entrepreneurs in the economic growth of rural places and small towns, as well as the obstacles that they face compared to more urban communities. Sablik also talks with Erika Bell and Laura Ullrich about what they have learned from their contacts in North Carolina and South Carolina about rural entrepreneurship. Bell is community development regional manager for the Carolinas and Ullrich is a regional economist in the Richmond Fed's Charlotte branch.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_05_11_rural_entrepreneurship
Urvi Neelakantan and Kristen Broady review their research on differences in wealth between races and potential causes behind these differences. They also discuss potential solutions to closing wealth gaps. Neelakantan is a senior policy economist at the Richmond Fed and Broady is a senior economist, economic advisor, and director of the Economic Mobility Project at the Chicago Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_04_27_racial_wealth_gap
Vanity McDaniel and Zhu Wang review the Federal Reserve's important role in the payments system, from cash and check processing to supporting innovations in electronic payments. McDaniel is a senior payments business analyst in the Payments Outreach group and Wang is vice president for research in financial and payments systems in the Research Department at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: http://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_04_20_fed_payments_innovation
Arantxa Jarque and Daniela Scidá share the challenges faced by women in the economics profession and the progress that the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has made in addressing them. Jarque is a senior policy economist in the Richmond Fed's Research department and Scida is a financial economist and manager in the Bank's Quantitative Supervision and Research group.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_04_13_women_economics
Alexander Wolman provides the basics on how the Fed looks at changes in price levels, reviews the distribution of recent price increases, and discusses their implications for overall inflation. Wolman is vice president for monetary and macroeconomic research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_03_23_inflation
Sierra Latham and Peter Dolkart discuss their work on the availability of affordable housing in small towns and rural communities. Latham is a senior research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Dolkart is a community development regional manager based in the Richmond Fed's Baltimore office.
Full transcript and related links: https://bit.ly/3KM2lcz
Renee Haltom reflects on key insights from a panel discussion at the District Dialogues event on Feb. 8, 2022. Panelists talked about how the nature of work and the skills required of workers have changed, and how workers and employers have responded to those changes. Haltom is a vice president and regional executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and hosted the event.
Full transcript and related links: https://bit.ly/378htT3.
For the 50th episode of the podcast, hosts Jessie Romero, Charles Gerena and Tim Sablik use previous episodes to explore how labor markets are shaped by the economic choices we make throughout our lifetimes, from childhood to adulthood to old age.
Full transcript and related links: https://bit.ly/3p4rR4j
Tressa Gardner provides an overview of the Southeastern Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (SiMT), the business incubator and other programs that it operates, and its role in supporting economic development in northeastern South Carolina. Gardner is associate vice president of SiMT.
Full transcript and related links: https://bit.ly/3Jv3ZPl
Santiago Pinto and Ray Owens discuss current trends in crime rates, the challenges of determining the extent of crime and its causes, and the impact of policing on crime rates. They also review research on racial bias in policing and the impact of police violence against Black citizens. Pinto and Owens are senior economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_02_10_owens_pinto
Mary Ann Gilmer of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys discusses the nonprofit's training program for healthcare workers and the importance of this work in rural communities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gilmer is chief strategy and people officer at Goodwill.
Full transcript and related links: http://ow.ly/tBx850HF0En
Tom Barkin, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, discusses the challenges and opportunities facing rural communities and smaller towns, and why the Richmond Fed has been working to address them.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_2022_01_19_barkin
Mark Bils of the University of Rochester and Niklas Engbom of New York University discuss their research on how easily labor is substituted or shifted between jobs and its implications for policies to bolster human capital. Bils and Engbom presented their most recent work at the Richmond Fed's CORE Week in December 2021.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20220112_bils_engbom
John O'Trakoun discusses the factors that have increased the cost of single-family and multi-unit housing in recent months, as well as what shapes overall supply and demand for housing over the longer term. O'Trakoun is a senior policy economist at the Richmond Fed and primary contributor to the Bank's Macro Minute blog.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211229_otrakoun
Laura Ullrich and Urvi Neelakantan discuss trends in enrollment at community colleges and the role of these educational institutions in the economy. Ullrich is a regional economist based in Charlotte, N.C., and Neelakantan is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211215_ullrich_neelakantan
Andy Bauer, Matt Martin and Renee Haltom reflect on the past year, sharing what they have learned from their contacts about the national and regional economies that they follow.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211208_regionalexecs
Parker Agelasto and Ebonie Alexander discuss how losses in property rights when they're transferred between generations can contribute to the creation and widening of wealth gaps. Agelasto is executive director of the Capital Region Land Conservancy and Alexander is executive director of the Black Family Land Trust.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211123_agelasto_alexander
Laura Ullrich and Sam Louis Taylor discuss the direct and indirect effects of federal aid to state and local governments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ullrich is a regional economist based at the Charlotte office of the Richmond Fed. Taylor is a policy analyst at the Richmond office.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211118_ullrich_taylor
Daniel Paul Davis and Andrew Dumont discuss an approach to economic development in rural communities that is detailed in a book they have edited, "Investing in Rural Prosperity." Dumont is a senior community development analyst at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Davis is vice president and community affairs officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211110_davis_dumont
Maia Linask and Tatyana Avilova share their career journeys in the field of economics and discuss what motivated them to organize the Diverse Economics Conference this November.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211020_linask_avilova
Felipe Schwartzman and Chen Yeh discuss their research on business cycles and what forces impact them on the individual and aggregate level.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211013_schwartzman_yeh
Angela Wells discussed how Smart Beginnings Danville Pittsylvania prepares children in Southside Virginia for success in school and in life.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20211007_wells
Deborah Markley discusses how community foundations support capacity building and development to improve the well being of rural communities.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210922_markley
Peter Dolkart discusses what is happening with renters in the Fifth District as state and national moratoriums on evictions wane and COVID-19 infections surge.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210916_dolkart
Duane Yoder, executive director of the Garrett County Community Action Committee, discusses how his organization adopted a holistic model for addressing poverty in rural communities.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210909_yoder
Sonya Waddell and Andy Bauer discuss the history of telework and the future implications of alternative work arrangements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210831_waddell_bauer
Dave Clark discusses the role of Woodlands Development Group and his organization's community development financial institution in driving economic development in north central West Virginia.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210826_clark
Renee Haltom and John O'Trakoun explore recent wage inflation within the context of the short-term challenges of hiring workers in certain industries as well as longer term trends in income growth.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210811_haltom_otrakoun
Thomas Lubik discusses why the government may decide to spend more than it takes in and the constraints that exist on deficit spending. This is the first of a two-part conversation with Lubik, a senior advisor at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210730_lubik_part1
Thomas Lubik discusses whether the government should spend beyond its means in response to an economic shock, like the COVID-19 pandemic, or an emerging crisis, like climate change. This is the second of a two-part conversation with Lubik, a senior advisor at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210730_lubik_part2
Mariacristina De Nardi of the University of Minnesota discusses her research on the effects of tax policy and Social Security benefits on women's labor supply.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210721_denardi
Tim McGaha of Choptank Electric Cooperative offers his perspective on the company's program to bring broadband Internet to rural communities in Maryland.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210715_mcgaha
This episode shares part of a presentation by Laura Ullrich, the Richmond Fed's regional economist based in Charlotte. Ullrich spoke about wage, income and wealth inequality, an issue that was brought into high relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her talk was recorded at the Travelers Aid International Conference in June 2019.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210628_ullrich
Nicolas Morales discusses his research and other work done on the interplay between immigrants and native-born workers in labor markets and how immigration can contribute to U.S. productivity. Morales is an economist in the Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210621_morales
Andy Bauer discusses West Virginia’s progress in recovering from the economic downturn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bauer is a regional executive at the Baltimore branch of the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210611_bauer
Alex Marré and Anna Read discuss how states and localities can make best use of the resources available for broadband infrastructure and create a conducive environment for expanding that infrastructure to fill gaps in access. They also offer a preview of a broadband summit that they are helping to organize in June. Marré is a regional economist at the Richmond Fed and Read leads the Broadband Access Initiative at the Pew Charitable Trusts.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210526_marre_read
Laura Ullrich shares her insights on historically black colleges and universities and their role in workforce development and the economy in general. Ullrich has spoken to presidents and administrators at HBCUs throughout the Fifth District as part of her research on the higher education sector. She is a regional economist based at the Charlotte branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210519_ullrich
Millions of Americans face diminished earnings and employment prospects years after they have spent time in prison. Grey Gordon and Urvi Neelakantan share their insights on this issue, which they have recently examined along with several colleagues at the Richmond Fed. Gordon is a senior economist and Neelakantan is senior policy economist.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210512_gordon_neelakantan
John Bailey Jones discusses his work on medical spending of the elderly and other financial decisions that people make as they age. He also previews a conference on this topic that he is organizing in early May. Jones is vice president of microeconomic analysis at the Richmond Fed.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210430_jones
For Financial Literacy Month, two teachers in South Carolina discuss how they help high school students learn about economics and personal finance. Will Chappell is from Early College High School in Conway and Sarah Ostergaard teaches at Irmo High School in Columbia. They belong to the Teacher Collaborative Committee, which supports the Richmond Fed's development and delivery of economic and financial education resources and programs.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210421_chappell_ostergaard
Hear the latest results of the CFO Survey and learn more about what makes the survey unique from three members of the team that produces it each quarter. Sonya Waddell is a vice president and economist at the Richmond Fed. She manages the Regional and Community Analysis team within the Research Department. Brent Meyer is a policy adviser and economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and leads the Bank's Economic Survey Research Center. John Graham is a finance professor at Duke University and is director of the CFO Survey.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210414_waddell_meyer_graham
Arantxa Jarque discusses the importance of having diverse voices represented at the Federal Reserve and in the economics profession in general. She also describes what stands in the way of diversity and how to address these barriers. Jarque is a senior policy economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210325_jarque
Claudia Macaluso describes why the United States has a welfare system, how it was designed, and how effective it is at combating poverty, especially during recessions and the downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Macaluso is an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Full transcript and related links: https://www.richmondfed.org/podcasts/speaking_of_the_economy/speaking_20210319_macaluso
Three economists discuss how they have used high-frequency datasets to track the health of the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic — Marios Karabarbounis and Nicholas Trachter of the Richmond Fed and Adam Blandin of Virginia Commonwealth University. Karabarbounis and Trachter compile the Pandemic Pulse, while Blandin runs the Real Time Population Survey with Alexander Bick of Arizona State University.
Bernie Mazyck and Mark Fessler discuss the ongoing issues of renters being evicted at high numbers in certain parts of our country, as well as how the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened to make this problem worse. Mazyck is the founder, president and CEO of the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development and is a member of the Richmond Fed's board of directors. Fessler is an attorney at South Carolina Legal Services who specializes in foreclosure and consumer law.
Andy Bauer provides an update on economic conditions in Maryland as the state recovers from the severe downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bauer is vice president and regional executive for the Baltimore branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.
Kartik Athreya, executive vice president and director of research, shares his experiences on the Back to Work Virginia Task Force, which was formed last April to develop policies and practices to strengthen the state's child care industry. Athreya also discusses the economic impact of unequal access to child care.
Ann Macheras offers her perspective on the state of the economy in the Fifth Federal Reserve District, which includes the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, most of West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Macheras is a group vice president at the Richmond Fed, with responsibility for microeconomics and research communications.
James Stock, a professor of political economy at Harvard University, discusses his research on the effects of carbon taxes in the European Union and its implications for enacting similar taxes in the United States. Stock presented this research at the Climate Change Economics conference organized by the Richmond Fed in November 2020.
Tiffany Hollin-Wright and Erika Bell provide an overview of the benefits cliff, which can occur when workers who receive public assistance from the government earn a raise and then discover they make too much money to continue receiving help. They also discuss how the Richmond Fed's Community Development team and its collaborators are addressing this challenge.
Sarah Gunn and David Bass discuss economic and financial literacy and the role of the Federal Reserve in educating teachers, students and the general public about these topics.
Matt Martin provides his take on this rather tumultuous year and how it has impacted economic conditions in North Carolina and South Carolina. Martin is vice president and regional executive based at the Richmond Fed's Charlotte office.
Alex Marré discusses the ongoing challenges of bringing broadband Internet service to everyone who needs it. Marre is a regional economist based at the Richmond Fed's branch office in Baltimore.
Toan Phan talks about his research on the effects of climate change on economic growth, the work of other researchers who have studied climate change economics, and the conference he is organizing on this important, multi-faceted topic. Phan is a senior economist in the Research Department of the Richmond Fed.
Santiago Pinto discusses the potential long-term consequences of disruptions to K-12 education as a result of spending cuts and school closings associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Pinto is a senior policy economist in the Research Department of the Richmond Fed.
Renee Haltom shares what she has been hearing about Virginia's economy this year, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tiffany Hollin-Wright discusses the work being done by Community Development staff at the Richmond Fed and in the Federal Reserve to respond to current health and economic crises, in particular their disproportionate impact on communities of color.