SF Fed Blog
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New Future of Work Survey: What Will the Post-Pandemic Workplace Look Like?
What changes are in store for the workplace in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? Business leaders from across our District’s nine western states plan to prioritize worker needs and safety when deciding how to move forward, according to our New Future of Work survey.
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What’s Behind the Recent Rise in Core Inflation?
As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the economy last spring, inflation fell dramatically. One year later, the opposite is occurring with inflation surpassing 3%. Health care and used cars are the main drivers for the recent spike in prices and their increases are expected to be short-lived.
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Weighing the Role of Supply Bottlenecks in Core PCE Inflation
Heightened demand and associated supply bottlenecks related to business disruptions during the pandemic have pushed up prices for some products. Goods prices have been the most directly affected, but they represent a smaller share of total U.S. consumer spending than services, mitigating the overall inflation risk.
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Mothers in a Pandemic Labor Market
COVID-19 disrupted all aspects of life, leading to steep declines in labor force participation across genders, races, and ethnic groups. Mothers experienced sharper and longer-lasting declines than fathers, and participation rates for Black mothers and Hispanic mothers were among the most affected.
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SF Fed Launches Tool to Forecast COVID-19 Infections by County
Using the latest data on social distancing behavior, weather, vaccinations, and confirmed COVID-19 cases per capita, our Economic Research team’s new data page forecasts changes in COVID-19 infection rates across U.S. counties. Economist Dan Wilson explains how this new tool uses recent statistics to help project future infection growth.
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How Bad Is the U.S. 2020 Fire Season?
The U.S. 2020 fire season has been intense so far, especially in California and Oregon. Assessing the spread of wildfires through mid-November shows it is comparable to the two most damaging fire seasons in recent memory. However, learning the cost of actual damages will take time.
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Help Shape the Future of the Community Reinvestment Act
The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System recently issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on how we can modernize the regulations that implement the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA). To ensure that the final proposal for modernizing the CRA meets community needs, the Board is seeking public comment. It’s time to make your voice heard.
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Did Increased Unemployment Payments Cause People to Reject Job Offers?
The additional $600 in Pandemic Unemployment Compensation payments relieved the financial burden of those most in need without dissuading a return to work. A job is worth much more than temporary unemployment insurance payments.
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Comparing News Sentiment in the Time of COVID-19 to the 2008 Financial Crisis
The Daily News Sentiment Index can be used to assess how sentiment responded to the COVID-19 crisis compared to the 2008 financial crisis. News sentiment declined at a similar pace and scale during both crises but recovered more quickly in the financial crisis.
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WATCH NOW – 3D Public Servants: The Courage to Be Human
SF Fed President Mary C. Daly shares her talk meant for SXSW 2020: “3D Public Servants: The Courage to Be Human.” In our current environment, the key message — that we all have to be willing to see, and be seen by, each other in three dimensions — is perhaps more important today than it’s ever been.