Alison Felix is Senior Policy Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. In this role, she is responsible for briefing the Kansas City Fed’s president—a member of the Federal Open Market Committee—on economic and business activity in the Tenth District. In addition, Felix conducts research on issues related to public finance, labor dynamics and regional growth trends.
Felix recently served as Vice President and Denver Branch Executive where she conducted research and outreach related to the economies of Colorado, Wyoming and northern New Mexico. Felix used her time in this position to broaden her understanding of the Tenth District regional economies, as well as recruiting and working closely with the Branch’s board of directors.
Felix joined the Federal Reserve in 2007 as an economist in the Regional Affairs Department in Kansas City, and was promoted to Denver Branch Executive in 2012. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in mathematics and economics from Kansas State University.
Felix currently serves on the Advisory Council for Kansas State University’s Department of Economics and on the Colorado Governor’s Revenue Estimating Advisory Committee. She also participates on the Metropolitan State University’s Community Cabinet, Mile High United Way’s Community Impact Committee and is a member of the Denver Association of Business Economists.
Recent Speeches
- PDFEmerging Trends in the U.S. & Kansas Economies (02/7/2020)
- PDFU.S. and Tenth District Economic Update (02/5/2020)
- PDFEmerging Trends in the Denver Economy (01/15/2020)
- PDFEmerging Trends in the U.S. & Colorado Economies (01/15/2020)
- PDFEmerging Trends in the U.S. & Colorado Economies (11/19/2019)
Professional Journals and Books
- "Corporate taxes and union wages in the United States" with James R. Hones Jr., International Tax and Public Finance, Volume 29, August 2022, pp. 1450-1494.
- "Who offers tax-based business development incentives?" with James R. Hines Jr., Journal of Urban Economics, Volume 75, May 2013, pp. 80-91.
Economic Review Articles
- PDFThe Impact of an Aging U.S. Population on State Tax Revenues
with Kate Watkins, Fourth Quarter 2013 - PDFIndustrial Diversity, Growth, and Volatility in the Seven States of the Tenth District
Fourth Quarter 2012 - PDFWhat Is the Outlook for Local Government Revenues in the Tenth District?
Third Quarter 2011 - PDFThe Importance of Community Colleges to the Tenth District Economy
with Adam Pope, Third Quarter 2010 - PDFDo State Corporate Income Taxes Reduce Wages?
Second Quarter 2009 - PDFThe Growth and Volatility of State Tax Revenue Sources in the Tenth District
Third Quarter 2008
Research Working Papers
- Economic Benefits and Social Costs of Legalizing Recreational Marijuana
with Jason P. Brown and Elior Cohen, RWP 23-10 - PDFWho Offers Tax-Based Business Development Incentives
with James R. Hines Jr., RWP 11-05 - PDFCorporate Taxes and Union Wages in the United States
with James R. Hines Jr. August 2009, RRWP 09-02 - PDFThe Incidence of Capital Taxation and the Magnitude of Its Burden
December 2007, RRWP 07-02 - PDFPassing the Burden: Corporate Tax Incidence in Open Economies
October 2007, RRWP 07-01
Economic Bulletin (formerly "The Macro Bulletin")
- Marijuana Industry Has Boosted Economic Activity in the Tenth Federal Reserve District
with Samatha Shampine, October 2022 - Lower Labor Force Participation Rates and Slower Population Growth Pose Challenges for Employers
with Samantha Shampine, March 2022 - Consumer Spending Declines, Shifts in Response to the Pandemic
with Samantha Shampine, February 2021 - COVID-19 Poses Risks for State and Local Public Pensions
August 2020 - COVID-19 Stuns U.S. and Tenth District Economies, but Both Show Signs of Stabilization
with Jason P. Brown, June 2020 - COVID-19 Challenges State and Local Government Finances
May 13, 2020 - PDFThe Impact of an Aging Population on State Tax Revenues
with Kate Watkins
Rocky Mountain Economist
- Is the Colorado Marijuana Industry Showing Signs of Maturation?
December 31, 2019 - Residential Construction and Real Estate Activity in the Rocky Mountain States
November 1, 2019 - Automation and the Rocky Mountain Workforce
June 30, 2019 - The Growing Importance of the Services Sector
March 29, 2019 - Assessing Labor Market Tightness in the Rocky Mountain States
December 31, 2018 - Migration Patterns in the Rocky Mountain States
September 28, 2018 - Educational Attainment and Labor Market Outcomes in the Rocky Mountain States
June 29, 2018 - The Economic Effects of the Marijuana Industry in Colorado
April 16, 2018 - A Look Back at the Rocky Mountain Economy 100 Years Ago
December 15, 2017 - Maintaining Stable Labor Markets in the Rocky Mountain States
November 3, 2017 - Economic Update for the Rocky Mountain States
June 30, 2017 - Employment Trends in Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan Areas of the Rocky Mountain States
December 28, 2016 - Public Pension Funds in the Rocky Mountain States
November 14, 2016 - How Have Low Oil Prices Affected the Rocky Mountain States?
June 30, 2016 - Export Activity in the Rocky Mountain States
March 24, 2016 - Trends in Income Growth and Inequality in the Rocky Mountain States
December 31, 2015 - Housing Affordability in the Rocky Mountain States
July 1, 2015 - Employment Dynamics: A Comparison of Jobs and Wages Before and After the Recent Recession
March 17, 2015 - The Importance of the Energy Sector in the Mountain States
December 31, 2014 - The Boom, Bust, and Recovery in the Mountain States' Housing Markets
October 14, 2014 - PDFNew Establishments and a Slow Return to Pre-Recession
August 6, 2014 - PDFEffect of Aging on Labor Force Participation Rates in the Mountain States
March 12, 2014 - PDFRecession and Recovery in the Mountain States
December 19, 2013 - PDFKey Industries in the Mountain States
August 30, 2013 - PDFWhat is Behind the Inflation Numbers?
May 31, 2013 - PDFPopulation Growth Trends in the Mountain States
March 5, 2013 - PDFDeconstructing Mountain State Unemployment Rates
December 19, 2012
The Main Street Economist
- PDFRural America's Fiscal Challenge
with Jason Henderson
Work in Progress
- "U.S. Expatriates: Individual Income Tax Rates and the Location Decisions of U.S. Citizens"