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Labor Market Focus

Experts at the Kansas City Fed have developed a collection of research and resources exploring the impact of labor markets on the economy.

Monitoring the labor market is a key focus of the Federal Reserve in its mission to foster a stable and growing economy. Keeping a pulse on the supply and demand of jobs, wages and the demographics of the labor force is critical to understanding the health of local and national economies

The Kansas City Fed monitors the labor market through the work of experts and economists. Below, you’ll find an archive of the Bank’s latest research and resources related to labor.

175 result(s) found
Article Title Author(s) Date Type

Cooling Labor Markets in Nebraska Present Some Challenges for Younger Workers

Labor conditions in Nebraska have cooled over the last year, marked by slowing demand and a slight increase in unemployment. Hiring has slowed across industries and fewer workers are voluntarily leaving jobs, resulting in some challenges for younger workers.

Nebraska Economist Labor Market Nebraska
John McCoy
Nate Kauffman Expandable Row
September 29, 2025
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Latest Data for the KC Fed Labor Market Conditions Indicators

Find the most recent monthly readings for the level of activity and momentum indicators.

Labor Market Conditions Indicators Labor Market Data and Trends
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September 9, 2025
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Revisiting Adam Smith and the Division of Labor: New Evidence from U.S. Occupational Data, 1860–1940

Historical U.S. data support Adam Smith’s theory that market growth and innovation boost labor specialization and productivity.

Labor and Demographics Research Working Paper
Nicholas A. Carollo
Elior Cohen
Jingyi Huang Expandable Row
September 3, 2025
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Worker and Firm Search in the Labor Market: Evidence from Classified Advertisements

New city-level and national measures of firm and worker job searches offer insight into early 20th-century U.S. labor markets.

Labor and Demographics Research Working Paper Macroeconomics Data and Trends
Huixin Bi
Nicolas Petrosky-Nadeau
Nora Traum
Greg Woodward Expandable Row
August 1, 2025
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Uncertainty Clouding a Conclusive Assessment of Nebraska’s Economy

Some economic data suggest that labor markets in Nebraska have remained solid, though perhaps somewhat cooler than a year or two ago.

Nebraska Economist Labor Market Regional Economy Nebraska
John McCoy
Nate Kauffman Expandable Row
July 9, 2025
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Changes in International Trade Could Disproportionately Affect Employment in Pockets of the Tenth District

Although all states within the Tenth Federal Reserve District have some exposure to international trade, some states are more dependent on international trade than the national average. Counties within the Tenth District that have an outsized exposure to oil and gas production or transportation equipment manufacturing are both more exposed to international trade and more reliant on a comparatively low number of trade partners. Employment in these areas is most at risk of changes in international trade.

Labor and Demographics Regional Economic Bulletin
John McCoy Expandable Row
July 7, 2025
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Measuring the Spectrum of Occupational Emissions

A new data-driven approach reveals which occupations are most exposed to shifts in the energy mix.

Natural Resources and Environment Labor and Demographics Economic Geography Research Working Paper Energy Regional Data and Trends
Elior Cohen
Nida Çakır Melek Expandable Row
July 1, 2025
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Some Segments of the Agricultural Economy Are Particularly Sensitive to Changes in the Foreign-Born Farm Labor Supply

For years, many segments of the U.S. agriculture sector have relied on foreign-born and undocumented workers to meet labor demand in farm operations. While farm operators may be able to partly reduce this reliance through investments in machinery and further hiring through the agricultural guest worker visa program, these alternatives would take time to deploy and could substantially increase costs.

Labor and Demographics Economic Bulletin Agriculture
Alexandra Hill
Francisco Scott Expandable Row
June 30, 2025
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Labor Market Risk Associated with Trade Uncertainty More Limited in Nebraska

Nebraska’s labor market has remained strong through the first quarter of 2025 and faces more limited risk from trade policy uncertainty than other states.

Nebraska Economist Labor Market Trade Nebraska
John McCoy
Nate Kauffman Expandable Row
April 18, 2025
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Labor Market Cooling Has Been Uneven Across Industries

The U.S. labor market has cooled over the last two years but remains healthy overall. However, an industry-specific version of the KC Fed’s Labor Market Conditions Indicators (LMCI) suggests pockets of tightness and weakness have appeared in a few industries. Tightness appears to be limited to less labor-intensive industries, limiting upside risk to inflation. Weakness, on the other hand, has appeared in the interest-rate-sensitive information industry, which may be vulnerable to further labor market cooling.

Labor and Demographics Monetary Policy Data and Trends Economic Bulletin Inflation
Karlye Dilts Stedman
Emily Pollard Expandable Row
January 31, 2025
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