The plunge in world oil prices has brought further difficulties to U.S. oil production, which has been declining in recent years. At the current low prices, most domestic oil wells are not profitable. This calls into question the long-run viability of oil production in the United States. Whether...

The U.S. stock market and housing market--the two largest sources of U.S. household wealth--have had sizable booms and busts in recent years. This volatility has influenced national consumption trends and had important consequences for states. Some states have become relatively wealthier,...

After collapsing during the financial and economic crisis, exports have grown rapidly in the nation and across much of the Tenth Federal Reserve District. Despite some risks, most economic forecasts for national exports point to continued robust growth. An export boom, however, could have...

U.S. Senator Robert Owen of Oklahoma played a key role in the formation of the Federal Reserve in the early twentieth century. He championed the creation of a quasi-public central bank with a decentralized structure. Author Chad Wilkerson explores how Senator Owen contributed to the Fed's early...

Despite experiencing solid gains in the last two years, U.S. manufacturing employment is down by about one-third since 1990. The decline has been felt more dramatically in some eastern Federal Reserve Districts. ; In the three Districts of the Great Plains—Dallas, Kansas City and...

The U.S. economy officially fell into recession in December 2007, but the timing of the downturn varied widely across regions of the country. In some regions, employment began to erode much earlier in 2007, while in other regions economic activity stayed strong well into the second half of 2008....