Welcome to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Money Museum; a billion-dollar experience! See how the Bank processes millions of dollars in currency each day, lift a real gold bar, view the historic Harry S. Truman coin collection and enjoy fun, interactive exhibits while learning about the U.S. economy. Explore a variety of digital exhibits and activities here on our website.

Tenth District services activity grew at a slower pace in June, while future activity was expected to increase further over the next six months (Chart 1 & Table 1). Indexes for input prices and selling prices continued to set survey record highs in June, with more firms indicating price increases from a month ago and a year ago (highest postings since survey inception in 2014). Additionally, firms expected input and selling prices to rise over the next six months.

The month-over-month services composite index was 8 in June, moderately lower than 18 in May, and 20 in April (Tables 1 & 2). The composite index is a weighted average of the revenue/sales, employment, and inventory indexes. Month-over-month indexes were mostly positive in June, indicating some expansion. The general revenue and sales index growth eased, driven by less real estate, auto, and transportation activity, while retail and tourism activity picked up. The index for wages and benefits rose at a...

The measures taken to fight the COVID-19 outbreak have caused substantial job loss in the United States. Among the prime-age group (age 25-54), women, especially those without a college degree, have taken a hit in terms of job lost and economic recovery.

Join Kansas City Fed Senior Economist, Didem Tüzemen, as she shares how this imbalance could lead to prolonged damage to women employment and labor market outcomes in the longer term.

Tenth District manufacturing activity remained strong, and expectations for future activity increased to a survey record high (Chart 1, Tables 1 & 2). The index of prices paid for raw materials and prices received for finished goods compared with a month ago remained very high. Price indexes vs. a year ago posted record highs again in June. Moving forward, district firms expected materials prices and finished goods prices to continue to increase over the next six months.

The month-over-month composite index was 27 in June, similar to 26 in May, and slightly below 31 in April (Tables 1 & 2). The composite index is an average of the production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes. The growth in district manufacturing activity continued to be driven by durable goods plants, in particular primary and fabricated metals, machinery, computer and electronic products, furniture, and transportation equipment manufacturing....

More timely data on current macroeconomic conditions can reduce uncertainty about forecasts, helping policymakers mitigate the risk of extreme economic outcomes. We find that incorporating financial market conditions along with current macroeconomic conditions improves the forecast accuracy of future GDP growth. Forecasts based only on current macroeconomic conditions eventually converge to those incorporating financial market conditions, lending further support to this approach.

We [Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City] are committed to building a diverse workplace, and are continually striving to achieve this goal. As such, we provide equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity and/or expression, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or genetic information.

Your privacy is important to us and we are committed to protecting it. See the PDFWorkday Privacy Notice.

By External LinkDell Gines, Senior Community Development Advisor, and External LinkChad Wilkerson, Oklahoma City Branch Executive_

One hundred years ago, on May 31 and June 1, 1921, violence erupted in the streets of north Tulsa. An estimated 150-300 deaths occurred during the destruction of the Greenwood area, known as “Black Wall Street.” In addition to the loss of life, the Tulsa Race Massacre destroyed a previously thriving local economy. And while the devastated community rebuilt many of their businesses over time, the economies of Greenwood and other primarily Black communities of north Tulsa have continued to experience economic challenges into the 21st century. This edition of the Oklahoma Economist reviews the history of Black Wall Street, its economy in recent years and current efforts that hold promise for its future.

If you are an employer in Oklahoma City with laptops you aren’t using, now is the perfect time to donate them. A campaign led by the Inasmuch Foundation, the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and a computer refurbishing company makes it safe, easy and free to donate. When you accept the Employer Laptop Challenge, you support Oklahoma City nonprofits and their clients.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of having a computer and the skills to use it.

Chad Wilkerson, branch executive, vice president and economist at the Kansas City Fed’s Oklahoma City Branch, said closing the digital divide was important before COVID-19, but has become even more critical over the past year.

“Computers and internet provide a vital connection for essential services and learning, and those without could fall behind,” Wilkerson said. “The Employer Laptop Challenge encourages organizations to join the Fed in refurbishing and donating used...

Books can improve children's literacy skills and introduce and reinforce economic and personal finance vocabulary and concepts. Use the lesson plans below that accompany the noted children's books in a classroom or at home to help reinforce key concepts to help children better extend the impact of the stories.

The rate of new business formation has declined sharply in recent decades, raising concerns among economists about job and productivity growth. This observed decline in business formation is likely to be juxtaposed to changes in characteristics such as household wealth that affect households’ propensity to become entrepreneurs. Economic theories of business formation suggest that wealthier households are more likely to start a business because wealth allows them to more easily reach a profitable scale.

Justin Barnette and Andrew Glover use data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from 1989 to 2015 to estimate the effect of wealth on the probability of a household starting a business while taking other observable characteristics into account. They find a puzzling divergence: business formation declined over the past three decades even as household wealth increased. However, they find no evidence that the relationship between business formation and...

The views expressed are those of the authors and interview subject and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

As the evictions crisis loomed, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City looked for policy responses that might help. The Bank was approached by the Legal Aid Society of Oklahoma, which suggested looking at the right to counsel for tenants facing eviction. It seemed to be a policy response that was needed, targeted, unique in the state, and, to a large degree, unique in the nation. It addressed both short-term needs and offered a long-term solution.

The Kansas City Fed partnered with the Legal Aid Society of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation on informational meetings for interested parties in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Participants included city council members, city staff, county commissioners, housing advocates and a few engaged funders. At the first meeting, we shared perspectives on the...

Tenth District manufacturing activity continued to expand at a strong pace, and expectations for future activity remained solid (Chart 1, Tables 1 & 2). The index of prices paid for raw materials compared to a month ago posted a new survey record high for the second straight month, and prices received for finished goods also surpassed historical levels. Price indexes vs. a year ago also posted record highs, with 98% of firms reporting higher materials prices compared to a year ago. Moving forward, district firms expected materials prices and finished goods prices to continue to increase over the next six months.

The month-over-month composite index was 26 in May, modestly lower than 31 in April, but even with the composite index of 26 from March (Tables 1 & 2). The composite index is an average of the production, new orders, employment, supplier delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes. The growth in district manufacturing activity was driven higher by...

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