The FED Said Where a public housing project once stood on the western fringe of downtown Atlanta, a garden grows. Each year, the three-acre patch produces 35,000 pounds of kale, broccoli, collards, tomatoes, and other produce for four farmers markets and other local outlets. The Truly Living Well Center for Natural Urban Agriculture is a staple in […] Read more
The FED Said A sleek housing complex is rising in Chamblee, Georgia. Nothing new there. Nearly 1,000 apartment and condominium buildings have been permitted in the past five years in metropolitan Atlanta, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But the one in Chamblee is unusual. The Senior Residences at Mercy Park is a collaboration between […] Read more
Did you know that only 29.7 percent of Americans over the age of 25 have attained a four-year college degree?1 Given many policymakers’ focus on increasing the share of individuals who attain a degree, that may sound like a surprisingly low number. It leaves a large group of American workers who do not have a four-year […] Read more
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Summary of Economic Activity Aside from hurricane effects, Sixth District business contacts described economic conditions as improving at a modest pace from mid-August through September. The outlook among firms remained optimistic with the majority of contacts expecting growth to be slightly above current levels for the remainder of the year. […] Read more
This fall, college seniors across the U.S. are making a choice that will shape the rest of their lives: which career to pursue after graduation. It’s a breathtakingly complex decision, involving trade-offs among prestige, job security, quality of work life, and compensation. Yet these career choices affect not only the students themselves but also the rest […] Read more
According to the Current Employment Statistics payroll survey, seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment declined 33,000 in September. This decline was the first drop in employment since 2010 and followed a 169,000 gain in August. At the same time, seasonally adjusted average hourly earnings in the private sector increased 2.9 percent year over year in September. This […] Read more
Office Renovations Take Off Many U.S. cities have seen the return of construction cranes in recent years. However, unlike in previous building booms, residential towers have dominated new construction. So far, new office construction has not yet reached its prerecession level. On the other hand, cities across the nation are bustling with office renovations. Could […] Read more
The Great Recession Drastically Changed the Skills Employers Want The employment shift from occupations that require mid-level skills toward those at the high and low ends is one of the most important trends in the U.S. labor market over the past 30 years. Previous research has suggested that a primary driver of this job polarization […] Read more
Did Harvey Influence the Housing Market? The August housing and construction data are starting to trickle in. So far, the data tell us that residential investment could be a drag on third-quarter gross domestic product growth. They also tell us that U.S. existing home sales were down slightly (-1.65 percent) from the month-earlier level but flat […] Read more
Which is more damaging, a hurricane or a fire. In either case your building, systems, records, power and telecom can be down or lost. Contingency plans are needed to survive for any disaster. The only real difference is how far away your alternate operations site will be. With the Cloud and cyber operations we are “virtually” better off […] Read more
Equifax, the Credit Reporting Industry, and What Congress Should Do Next Even for the experts, the recent data breach at Equifax was staggering. The data that undergirds the credit records of 143 million consumers was compromised. Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and drivers’ license records are used to authenticate identity. It is not difficult […] Read more
It’s hard to imagine a broader impact scenario for Florida, all those people leaving and then trying to return. Power and support resourced having to be spread throughout the state … yet we were lucky. But here the degree of mitigation we’ve already implemented is telling. The article below on 9/14 put the damage at $180 Billion. […] Read more
Here’s where Florida ranks among top states for best business climate Florida ranks second among the 50 states for having the best business climate, according to a new survey of U.S. corporate executives released Monday at the International Economic Development Council annual conference. Texas ranked first and Georgia ranked third, followed by South Carolina and […] Read more
How Tampa Bay businesses can keep going in the eye of the storm Employees should be at the top of the list of importance as businesses prepare for a hurricane or other natural disaster. Staging drills, setting up employee contact systems and ensuring mission-critical workers can do their jobs remotely are among the key steps […] Read more
Summary of Economic Activity According to reports from businesses across the Sixth District, economic activity expanded at a modest pace from July through mid-August. The outlook among contacts remains optimistic as most expect slow and steady growth over the remainder of the year. Businesses reported continued tightness in the labor market, though wage growth remained […] Read more