ChicagoFed

Join economist Jung Sakong on 3/31 to hear findings from his paper, Human Capital in a Time of Low Real Rates, which includes a macroeconomic framework linking persistently low real interest rates to differences in human capital investment across families. bit.ly/40Ibb5c

Federal Reserve issues #FOMC statement: federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pre…

WATCH LIVE TODAY: Press conference with #FOMC Chair Powell at 2:30 p.m. ET: federalreserve.gov youtube.com/federalreserve

The National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI) increased to –0.49 in the week ending March 13, suggesting tighter financial conditions. #NFCI #economy bit.ly/3HIOBzR

🗣️: @Austan_Goolsbee, @KEBroady, Jung Sakong, Tamara Hoff Pope (Chicago Scholars), @SamChatmanABC7 (@ABC7Chicago), Beth Akers (@AEI), @jrothwell (@gallup), Aisha Meeks (@Morehouse) and Jon Mandrell (Sauk Valley Community College). bit.ly/40Ibb5c

The Chicago Fed Advance Retail Trade Summary (CARTS) projects retail & food services sales excluding motor vehicles & parts (ex. auto) to increase +0.1% in February on a seasonally adjusted basis and to decrease -0.1% when adjusted for inflation. bit.ly/3OIirIC

Join us on March 31 from 11 AM – 12 PM CT for a virtual event from the Chicago Fed’s Economic Mobility Project. Human Capital in a Time of Low Real Rates will focus on how low interest rate environments impact human capital investment and opportunity. bit.ly/40Ibb5c

Last month, automotive experts and industry leaders gathered at the Automotive Insights Symposium in Detroit to discuss the forces shaping the U.S. auto industry including auto production, sales, supply chains, and much more. Watch the replay: bit.ly/3Lrh8PR

The National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI) increased to –0.51 in the week ending March 6, suggesting tighter financial conditions. #NFCI #economy bit.ly/3HIOBzR

What did 6,500+ employers tell the Federal Reserve about performance, challenges, and credit-seeking experiences in this year's Small Business Credit Survey? Read the report to find out: clefed.org/4rL5b7v

The Foreign Policy Association awarded President Goolsbee its highest honor, the FPA medal. The award recognizes those who demonstrate responsible internationalism and work to expand public knowledge of international affairs. He dedicated it to the hardworking people of the Fed.

In an interview with @nytimes, @Austan_Goolsbee describes February's jobs report as a "tough" one, although he stressed the importance of not overreacting to one month of data. He conceded that the combination of a weakening labor market and higher inflation risks (potentially stemming from the Middle East conflict) put the Fed in a bind: "If the job market is getting worse and inflation is getting worse at the same time, it's not obvious to me what the immediate response should be"

How did economic conditions affect chemical production, steel sales, and fabricated metals demand? Find out what Chicago Fed contacts told us in the latest Beige Book. Read more: bit.ly/3Ysar0s

The Chicago Fed forecast sees the unemployment rate leaning toward a decrease in February. The odds of a decrease are 19 percentage points greater than an increase. bit.ly/4270rP2

The Chicago Fed Real-Time Unemployment Rate Forecast for February is 4.27%, little changed from the BLS value for the previous month. bit.ly/4270rP2

The fourth quarter of 2025 saw agricultural land values rise and farm credit conditions deteriorate. Read the latest edition of AgLetter Insights to learn what’s happening with farming, crops, and land values in our region. bit.ly/4aRuKOo

The National Financial Conditions Index (NFCI) increased to –0.52 in the week ending February 27, suggesting tighter financial conditions. #NFCI #economy bit.ly/3HIOBzR

Artificial intelligence is powerful, but does it drive major economy-wide productivity gains? Read the latest Chicago Fed Letter from Joel David, Gustavo de Souza, and Adalyn Schommer to find out. bit.ly/4aXgwu7

In what ways are banks directly exposed to AI-adjacent investments, and what is the possible AI bubble tail risk? Read more from Greg Cohen, Cooper Killen, and Simon Lau: bit.ly/46lUgsA

The Chicago Fed forecast sees the unemployment rate leaning toward a decrease in February. The odds of a decrease are 11 percentage points greater than an increase. bit.ly/4270rP2