Money

The Fed's dual mandate aims for maximum sustainable employment and an inflation rate of 2 percent, as measured by the price index for personal consumption expenditures (PCE). Employment has increased impressively over the past six years since its low point in early 2010, and the unemployment rate has hovered near 5 percent since August of last year, close to most estimates of the full-employment rate of unemployment. more »

States' detailed data systems have revealed that more education doesn't always mean higher earnings. More technical programs generally have a greater payoff in the labor market. If a journalism major instead chose an associate's degree program and learned to repair industrial equipment, she could be earning $58,000 three years out of school. State data systems that track post-graduate employment rates have their limits. Only a handful of states include student debt information, for instance. more »

A British exit from the European Union would slow economic growth, reduce Europe’s impact in world politics, and strengthen regimes such as Russia's that prefer a weaker, less united Europe, Stanford expert Christophe Crombez says. more »

"Inflation has been lower than our objective of 2 percent, but I expect it to move up over time for reasons that I will describe. If incoming data are consistent with labor market conditions strengthening and inflation making progress toward our 2% objective, as I expect, further gradual increases in the federal funds rate are likely to be appropriate and most conducive to meeting and maintaining those objectives. However, I will emphasize that monetary policy is not on a preset course and significant shifts in the outlook for the economy would necessitate corresponding shifts in the appropriate path of policy." more »