Dallas Fed Communities Story Archive

• February 12, 2026
  Small businesses optimistic despite facing uncertainty, tariffs, technology changes

  Ruby Martinez-Berrier

  While small businesses continue to face structural issues such as lack of financing and competition against larger firms, current conditions are not only exacerbating these issues but presenting new and unique challenges to business owners.
• January 30, 2026
  Salary not sole concern for young adults weighing career decisions, focus groups find

  Anna Crockett

  While challenging economic conditions were top of mind for many participants, they also considered personal and practical factors.
• November 4, 2025
  How might artificial intelligence affect Texas’ good jobs?

  Anna Crockett

  Recent Dallas Fed research emphasizes that AI can either help or replace workers depending on the nuance of their occupations. But how might AI affect jobs that don’t require bachelor’s degrees but still pay self-sustaining wages?
• October 31, 2025
  Texas economic growth outpaces the nation, but are small businesses keeping up?

  Ruby Martinez-Berrier and Marycruz DeLeon

  Given Texas’ strong economic performance compared with the U.S., one might think the state’s small businesses would outperform those nationwide.
• February 20, 2025
  How Gen Z Texans use credit cards can shed light on their future financial health

  Felicity Phelan and Emily Ryder Perlmeter

  Generation Z’s rising debt load has been widely reported, sparking concerns for the financial future of America’s youngest adult generation.
• January 22, 2025
  Local communities gain capacity to improve economic outcomes as they complete Advance Together program

  Jane Santa Cruz

  Five years ago, the Dallas Fed launched an innovative approach to helping local communities reduce barriers to economic opportunity. The results from the pilot demonstrate the model's success and lay the groundwork for the next round.
• August 9, 2024
  How valuable is a short-term credential for a job seeker? It’s complicated

  Anna Crockett, Emily Ryder Perlmeter, Xiaohan Zhang

  Employer demand for short-term credentials is rising. But the likelihood of such credentials leading to higher wage offers depends on the industry and can change over time.
• July 19, 2024
  Moving up, falling back or staying still: How income mobility in Texas differs by race, ethnicity

  Anna Crockett

  This article analyzes how different demographic groups can climb the income ladder and move into higher-income groups.
• May 23, 2024
  Income disparities between white and Hispanic and Black Texans seen from 2005 to 2019

  Anna Crockett

  In the United States, a great deal of research has documented income disparities across racial and ethnic groups over time. If left unaddressed, those disparities could act as a headwind to future economic growth, especially given the country’s increasingly diverse population.
• May 20, 2024
  Funding to address broadband gaps in the Eleventh District

  Marycruz De Leon, Kassandra Huhn, Prithvi Kalkunte and Xiaohan Zhang

  This article examines Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act funding distribution in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.