COVID-19

 

• Shift to working from home diminished large cities’ productivity premium

  Since the start of the pandemic, the reduced presence of in-office workers has reduced the wage premium attached to large cities and may have diminished the productivity edge of these areas.

  August 30, 2022

• Vaccines were key to curbing COVID-19 in Europe; other measures also useful

  Vaccine uptake was the most important factor in reducing effective transmission rates in 2021, though the other factors helped bring infections under control.

  August 23, 2022

• Lowest-income workers see accelerated earnings growth during pandemic

  In many respects, the pandemic has disproportionately harmed low-income workers. Earnings growth, triggered by labor shortages and high turnover rates, could be a rare exception.

  August 08, 2022

• Globalization Institute Working Paper

  Social Distancing, Vaccination and Evolution of COVID-19 Transmission Rates in Europe

  This paper provides estimates of COVID-19 transmission rates and explains their evolution for selected European countries since the start of the pandemic taking account of changes in voluntary and government-mandated social distancing, incentives to comply, vaccination and the emergence of new variants.

  July 12, 2022

• Southwest Economy, Second Quarter 2022

  Changing Economy Likely to Test Banks as Stimulus Ends, Growth Slows

  Banks in the region and the U.S., which have benefited from pandemic-era fiscal stimulus, face downside risks arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ongoing COVID-19 shocks abroad and expectations of significant central bank tightening to address elevated inflation.

  July 01, 2022

• Initial unemployment claims appear stable over past several months

  It is likely that the latest rise in initial claims reflects difficulty adjusting the data for seasonal patterns in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than a deterioration in underlying economic conditions.

  June 28, 2022

• Fed liquidity facility successfully anchored commercial real estate amid pandemic

  The Federal Reserve responded to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic with several liquidity facilities to ensure a continuing flow of credit to households and businesses. The TALF, which financed highly rated asset-backed securities, proved especially important to supporting commercial real estate finance.

  May 24, 2022

• Texas job growth moderates as price pressures, supply-chain issues persist

  Texas employment growth eased in March, though it remained steady in the first quarter and exceeded U.S. job growth.

  May 12, 2022

• Southwest Economy

  Students Cut College During Pandemic; Their Return Is Uncertain

  Postsecondary institutions suddenly closed their doors with the arrival of COVID-19 in March 2020. Two years later, the impacts are coming into focus.

  April 01, 2022

• Southwest Economy, First Quarter 2022

  Around the Region: Texas Reclaims Jobs Lost in Pandemic; Some Metros Still Trying to Catch Up

  The recovery from the pandemic recession ushered in a massive reallocation of employment between industries with repercussions for different areas of the state.

  April 01, 2022