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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196 result(s) found


Article Title	Author(s)	Date	Type
The Low-Hire, Low-Fire Labor Market Is Calm but Fragile The unemployment rate has held steady at just above 4 percent in 2026. However, this low unemployment rate does not mean workers are finding jobs easily. Instead, unemployment is low because job loss is near historical lows. This low-hire, low-fire labor market may be a source of vulnerability. Although the current unemployment rate is identical to the unemployment rate in 1999, the labor market is less resilient. We show that a mild downturn akin to the 2001 recession would drive unemployment to 8 percent today compared with only 6 percent in 1999. Labor and Demographics Macroeconomics Economic Bulletin	Molly E. Hirner Yusuf Mercan Expandable Row	September 30, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Private Nonprofit Colleges’ Growing Reliance on Graduate Students May Prove Unsustainable As private nonprofit colleges face lagging undergraduate enrollments and growing financial difficulties, they have turned to graduate programs to increase their revenue. With undergraduate enrollments expected to decline, these colleges are likely to place an even greater emphasis on graduate programs going forward. However, recent government policy changes may also suppress graduate enrollment growth, testing colleges’ business models and the private nonprofit college sector in general. Labor and Demographics Macroeconomics Economic Bulletin	Emily Pollard Expandable Row	September 23, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Fleeting Forbearance in a World of Persistent Financial Distress During the COVID-19 pandemic, use of mortgage forbearance was fleeting; this paper offers two reasons why. Labor and Demographics Quantitative Methods Housing Covid-19 Research Research Working Paper Macroeconomics Data and Trends	José Mustre-del-Río Juan M. Sanchez Kartik Athreya Expandable Row	September 18, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text 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	September 9, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Expandable Row
Cautious Careers: Job Mobility Under Incomplete Markets Without unemployment insurance, workers frequently stay put in safe but lower-productivity jobs and reject risky high-wage jobs. Labor and Demographics Quantitative Methods Research Working Paper Macroeconomics Data and Trends	Alex Clymo Piotr Denderski Yusuf Mercan Benjamin Schoefer Expandable Row	August 19, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Is the AI Boom Volatility-Biased Technological Change? The AI boom is concentrated in the most volatile sectors of the U.S. economy and could keep volatility elevated going forward. Labor and Demographics AI Research Working Paper Macroeconomics	Juan David Munoz Henao Nicholas Sly Expandable Row	August 13, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Is the U.S. Labor Force Nearing Its Peak? Despite an aging population, the U.S. labor force has grown substantially from pre-pandemic levels. Thus far, strong labor force participation rates and immigration flows have more than offset downward pressure from an increasing number of retirements. However, the U.S. labor force is likely nearing its peak: Increases in participation rates are unlikely to fully offset headwinds from slowing immigration and continued aging. Labor and Demographics Macroeconomics Economic Bulletin	Alison Felix Expandable Row	June 29, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Full Text Expandable Row
Nebraska’s Job Market Steady, but Uneven and Facing Uncertainty Through the pandemic and the years that followed, Nebraska’s labor market has remained steady, though some new challenges have emerged and others have intensified. Nebraska Economist Labor Market Regional Economy Nebraska	John McCoy Expandable Row	June 26, 2026 Expandable Row	Web Page Expandable Row
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
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

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Labor Market Focus

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Filter Archived Content

The Low-Hire, Low-Fire Labor Market Is Calm but Fragile

Private Nonprofit Colleges’ Growing Reliance on Graduate Students May Prove Unsustainable

Fleeting Forbearance in a World of Persistent Financial Distress

Latest Data for the KC Fed Labor Market Conditions Indicators

Cautious Careers: Job Mobility Under Incomplete Markets

Is the AI Boom Volatility-Biased Technological Change?

Is the U.S. Labor Force Nearing Its Peak?

Nebraska’s Job Market Steady, but Uneven and Facing Uncertainty

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

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