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Respected economist and Harvard professor Jason Furman (right) gave the 2026 Homer Jones Memorial Lecture on July 15, sharing his views about what drives low consumer sentiment, even in a strong economy. He also discussed how that affects the broader economic picture. St. Louis Fed President Alberto Musalem (second from right in the front row) gave welcoming remarks. The lecture series, which features speakers who exemplify excellence in economics and public policy, is part of the St. Louis Fed’s effort to convene ongoing conversations about national and regional economic conditions.
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Former long-term Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan died June 22 at the age of 100. In his 1987 to 2006 tenure, he led the Fed through several events with “major economic repercussions,” including two U.S. recessions, the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 9/11 terrorist attacks, as the Federal Reserve History website notes. Greenspan’s statements and speeches—including the 1996 remarks in which he coined the term “irrational exuberance”—are available in FRASER, the St. Louis Fed’s digital library of economic, financial and banking materials.
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Studying the 1990s U.S. economic expansion could reveal insights into how the potential economic impact of AI, today’s transformative technology, may be relevant to monetary policy. The Fed held interest rates steady in 1996 despite calls for tighter monetary policy because then-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan believed information technology advancements had boosted the economy’s ability to produce more without triggering higher inflation.
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Fewer job openings and increased demand for AI-related skills are driving weaker labor market conditions for young workers, especially recent college grads, new research finds. Those findings are outlined in two posts in a three-part blog series exploring labor market challenges and opportunities for young adults. The last post in the series looks at the activities of “disconnected” young adults, those who don’t have jobs and aren’t in school. Disconnected young adults are more likely than their “connected” peers to be doing household work, caring for children or other household members, and doing gig work.
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The Fed’s dual mandate—maximum employment and price stability—guides monetary policy decisions. But how does the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interpret and try to achieve these objectives? That’s where the Fed’s monetary policy framework comes in. In an interview, St. Louis Fed economist Fernando Martin explained the FOMC aims to hit 2% inflation over the longer run under the current monetary policy framework. Martin also shared why there isn’t an explicit target for maximum employment, what happens when the two goals seem in conflict, and more.
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Master accounts have long been the gateway for depository institutions to access Federal Reserve financial services, such as collecting checks, electronically transferring funds and distributing cash. A blog post explores the accounts’ basic functions, defines the services they provide and explains how the Fed approves access to them.
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In a Your Fed, Your Voice video profile, Wade Litton, president and CEO of Wade Inc. and a member of the St. Louis Fed’s Agribusiness Industry Council, shares how the agribusiness sector’s challenges and opportunities reach Federal Reserve decision-makers and influence monetary policy.
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If your organization works in low- and moderate-income communities, the Federal Reserve wants to hear from you. Complete the 15- to 20-minute Community Development Outlook Survey before Aug. 14 to ensure policymakers understand the realities of your community.
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Are you struggling to fill open positions or facing high turnover? Join workforce development leaders from across Arkansas and Oklahoma on Aug. 13 for an in-person learning session. You’ll explore hiring strategies that drive retention, steps you can take to strengthen workforce initiatives, and much more.
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In the last two months, online database FRED has added more than 4,500 data series covering small businesses’ credit experiences, the economic well-being of U.S. households, financial risk measures and cross-border investment flows. Keep up on the latest additions with FRED News.
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Most economic time series reflect what is known today—the most current, most accurate versions of the data. But what if you want to look back at data from yesterday? That’s where ALFRED (the archival version of online database FRED) can help. ALFRED stores every update made to every FRED data series and can help you compare different methods to collect data, track comprehensive updates, improve data accuracy and completeness, and more.
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