North Carolina's furniture manufacturing industry has contracted in recent years as imports have gained a greater share of the domestic furniture market. Rapid growth of the furniture industry in China and a surge in exports from that country to the United States in particular have contributed...

In 1977, Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to encourage expanded lending and investment in lower income communities. In accordance with the Act, federal bank regulators periodically evaluate banks' lending performance in such communities, providing both carrot and stick to...

Since November 1993, the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has conducted a monthly survey of business activity at Fifth District manufacturing firms. This survey has proven to be a valuable instrument for gathering regional economic data. An analysis of five years of data shows that the survey...