June 2, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT Virtual video event presented by all 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System

June 2, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT Virtual video event presented by all 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System

Emerging markets face the pandemic with weakened economies and increased pressure to repay foreign loans Debt burdens raise the cost of social distancing, pressuring governments to end lockdowns International debt relief programs provide considerable benefit by mitigating debt pressures

June 2, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT Virtual video event presented by all 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System

Our Regional Outreach team surveyed construction firms across the Ninth District to gauge recent activity and the near-term outlook in the sector. Join Ron Wirtz, Regional Outreach director, for a live webinar discussing the latest results from a mid-May survey of activity levels, outlook, and overall conditions in the construction sector.

Entrepreneurs of color own a greater share of Minnesota businesses than in the past Businesses owned by people of color tend to be smaller and generate less revenue Better data could illuminate barriers entrepreneurs of color face

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — COVID-19 has been especially severe for older folks, which means many nursing homes were hit very hard by the pandemic, with tragic story after tragic story of residents lost to the virus.

For Jon Halper, owner of Top Ten Liquors stores in the Twin Cities, there were lots of good reasons to boost starting wages from $12 to $15 an hour.

Sales have been strong, with the pandemic spurring a surge in alcohol consumption at home. He's got new stores on the horizon, and he wants to make sure the existing ones continue to offer good customer service. And then, there's the matter of finding workers.

"It's become very challenging to hire people in the environment we're in," Halper said. "So we felt we needed to make a move."

Top Ten Liquors is one of a number of companies increasing wages as they struggle to hire. Even as businesses ramp up again, the labor market still has a ways to go to heal from the pandemic with many workers still on the sidelines for various reasons.

Around the Twin Cities, Punch Pizza recently raised its minimum hourly wage to $15, as Valleyfair did for its seasonal food and beverage jobs. Nationwide, McDonald's...

June 2, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT Virtual video event presented by all 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System

Government stimulus allowed borrowers to stay current on repayments Minneapolis Fed analysis shows stimulus saved banks hundreds of billions in loan losses Experience underscores need for continued focus on bank resilience

Last year, the Federal Reserve launched a conference series about racism and the economy. So far, there have been sessions aimed at understanding racism’s impact on employment, education, housing and the economics profession itself. 

As part of the series, Marketplace’s Kimberly Adams moderated two panel discussions on April 13 focused on the economics profession, including one with Raphael Bostic, Loretta J. Mester and Eric Rosengren, presidents of the Federal Reserve banks of Atlanta, Cleveland and Boston, respectively. 

“We want to be top form, and to do that, we have to be diverse. We have to be inclusive,” Mester said. 

June 2, 2021 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET | 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. CT Virtual video event presented by all 12 District Banks of the Federal Reserve System

The biggest banks have prematurely applauded themselves for their resilience Indirect support from the government helped them avoid the worst of the economic shock Now is not the time to put taxpayers at future risk by relaxing regulations

The COVID-19 pandemic is inflicting enormous human and economic costs on the Ninth District, nation, and world. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is charged with closely monitoring economic conditions in our region so that local and national policymakers can make informed policy choices.

Given rapidly changing conditions, the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is monitoring a variety of daily and weekly data sources to more accurately assess economic developments in real time, some of which are displayed below. Please check back for frequent updates and new indicators.

Our Regional Outreach team surveyed businesses across the Ninth District to gauge recent economic activity and the near-term outlook of firms in various sectors. Join Ron Wirtz, Regional Outreach director, for a live webinar discussing the latest results from a mid-April survey of firms. Learn about current business conditions, continuing effects of the pandemic, and the near-term outlook of district firms.