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.

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189 result(s) found


Article Title	Author(s)	Date	Type
Oklahoma Economy May See Limited Gains from Higher Oil Prices: Latest Edition of the Oklahoma Economist Released The Oklahoma Economist is a quarterly publication that provides economic information and insights on the state's economy. Oklahoma Economist Labor Market Oklahoma	Expandable Row	May 19, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Expandable Row
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	Expandable Row	May 12, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Expandable Row
Can Healthcare Labor Supply Keep Up with Aging-Driven Demand? Demand for healthcare is growing rapidly as the U.S. population ages, with employment in caregiving occupations expanding especially quickly. Women and immigrants have been the primary workers filling these jobs so far. With female labor force participation now at all-time highs and immigration flows expected to remain constrained, healthcare labor supply could struggle to meet demand from an aging population going forward. Labor and Demographics Economic Bulletin	Elior Cohen Expandable Row	May 1, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Mass Layoffs Can Disproportionately Disrupt Small Communities The recent closure of a meatpacking plant in Lexington, Nebraska, raises questions about how mass layoffs affect nearby communities as well as the broader regional economy. After sizeable layoffs in similar communities, the local labor force shrank, employment declined, and out-migration increased. Overall, smaller communities have faced large, negative consequences from mass layoff events. Labor and Demographics Regional Economic Bulletin	John McCoy Expandable Row	February 18, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
A New U.S. Productivity Chapter? What Industry Data Say About AI Since late 2022, U.S. labor productivity has risen notably above its pre-pandemic trend. Industry data suggest the pickup is not yet broad-based: A small set of industries accounts for most gains. While higher AI adoption is associated with faster productivity growth across industries, it explains little of the shift in aggregate contributions, suggesting AI adoption is still spreading. Labor and Demographics AI Macroeconomics Data and Trends Economic Bulletin	Nida Çakır Melek Sydney Miller Expandable Row	February 11, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Oklahoma Experiences Hiring Slowdown: Latest Edition of the Oklahoma Economist Released The Oklahoma Economist is a quarterly publication that provides economic information and insights on the state's economy. Oklahoma Economist Labor Market Oklahoma	Expandable Row	February 11, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Expandable Row
Investigating the Recent Decline in Community College Enrollment Community college enrollment has fallen since 2010, driven mainly by strong labor markets and lower returns to an associate degree. Labor and Demographics Economic Review Macroeconomics	Emily Pollard Expandable Row	February 5, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Introducing New Monthly Estimates of the Natural Rate of Interest and Natural Unemployment Rate Policymakers reference the natural rate of interest (r) to judge the tightness of monetary policy and the natural unemployment rate (u) to gauge whether the economy is near full employment. Most estimates of these measures use quarterly data and are only updated four times per year. We introduce new monthly measures of r* and u*—the KC Fed Model-Based Natural Rate of Interest and Natural Unemployment Rate—to provide more timely data on the tightness of labor markets and stance of monetary policy. Labor and Demographics Monetary Policy Macroeconomics Data and Trends Economic Bulletin	Andrew Glover Johnson Oliyide Expandable Row	February 2, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Higher Tariffs Might Have Created Headwinds to Employment Growth in 2025 Job growth in the United States has slowed considerably this year. We examine the effect of tariffs on job growth and argue that sectors with higher exposure to imports had greater reductions in hiring. Tariffs therefore could have reduced job growth, though there is considerable uncertainty about the effect. Labor and Demographics International Economic Bulletin	Johannes Matschke Mariia Dzholos Expandable Row	December 12, 2025 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Understanding the Role of Wealth in Worker Flows Workers in wealthier households tend to experience lower job loss rates and switch jobs less frequently. Labor and Demographics Economic Review Macroeconomics	Yusuf Mercan Jalen Nichols Expandable Row	November 18, 2025 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row

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Labor Market Focus

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Filter Archived Content

Oklahoma Economy May See Limited Gains from Higher Oil Prices: Latest Edition of the Oklahoma Economist Released

Latest Data for the KC Fed Labor Market Conditions Indicators

Can Healthcare Labor Supply Keep Up with Aging-Driven Demand?

Mass Layoffs Can Disproportionately Disrupt Small Communities

A New U.S. Productivity Chapter? What Industry Data Say About AI

Oklahoma Experiences Hiring Slowdown: Latest Edition of the Oklahoma Economist Released

Investigating the Recent Decline in Community College Enrollment

Introducing New Monthly Estimates of the Natural Rate of Interest and Natural Unemployment Rate

Higher Tariffs Might Have Created Headwinds to Employment Growth in 2025

Understanding the Role of Wealth in Worker Flows