As the water recedes and the human toll accumulates in the hurricane-impacted Coastal regions, discussion has turned to the economic impact. Many areas and communities immediately surrounding the Gulf Coast are experiencing increased business and real estate activity as evacuees try to refocus their lives and homes, even as local governments and charitable organizations struggle mightily ... Read More

Michigan's traditional heavy reliance on the domestic auto industry has been troubling its economy over the past five years. While GM and the other domestic auto makers have “kept America rolling” with continued auto sales and sales/finance incentives, the state of Michigan has shown the worst performance among the states. Michigan's unemployment is the second highest at 6.7 %; and it hol... Read More

The Chicago economy is expanding, but the pace of growth is disappointing compared with that experienced during the 1990s. This lagging performance raises some questions about the future. Will Chicago merely serve a supporting role as a services center for the surrounding Midwest, or can Chicago's businesses expand their reach to more rapidly growing national and global markets? R... Read More

Those who are interested in the prospects of Midwest rural areas will want to peruse the presentations from Dave Oppedahl's recent conference on “Ag Biotech and Midwest Rural Development.” Right now, the papers and presentations are posted. Dave will soon be summarizing the conference for an upcoming issue of Chicago Fed Letter. One topic of the conference was the rising prominenc... Read More

Hello midwesterners and those interested in the Midwest's economic growth and development. My name is Bill Testa, and this is an introduction to my Midwest Economy Blog. In this blog, I will offer some current information on the Midwest economy, as well as analysis of important public policy issues and even an occasional prediction or two. In this effort, I will be looking for tho... Read More