In the summer of 2000, central banks from the Group of Ten countries surveyed large international banks about their use of stress tests_a risk management tool that measures a firm's exposure to extreme movements in asset prices. The survey findings highlight the risks that most concern financial...

Between 1969 and 1999, the New York-New Jersey region experienced a steeper drop in manufacturing employment than any other area of the United States. Much of the unusually sharp job decline can be attributed to the geographic dispersion of manufacturing_that is, the gradual movement of...

Between 1977 and 1997, real government spending in New York and New Jersey rose more than 40 percent, led by sharply higher outlays for public welfare and education. Increased tax revenues offset the spending hikes, allowing the states to run large cash surpluses in most years, but both states...

Many supporters of the tax cut enacted this summer viewed it as an important stimulus to consumer spending. But an analysis of the effects of earlier income tax cuts suggests that the consumer response to such initiatives is, in fact, quite variable. Two conclusions stand out: First, consumers...

Business investment in equipment surged in the 1990s, then fell back sharply after mid-2000. A popular explanation of these trends holds that the soaring stock market and declining computer prices of the last decade encouraged excess investment, setting the stage for the retrenchment that...

The continuing strength of the dollar has fueled interest in the relationship between productivity and exchange rates. An analysis of the link between the dollar's movements and productivity developments in the United States, Japan, and the euro area suggests that productivity can account for...

New York City will set the pace for job growth in the New York-New Jersey region in 2001, with employment advancing 1.9 percent over the year. For the region as a whole, the rate of job growth will drop to 1.5 percent, from 2.2 percent in 2000.

For much of the last four decades, the stock of unsold new homes has tracked sales very closely. Since 1995, however, inventories have fallen far behind rapidly advancing sales. What accounts for the change? Market trends have both reduced the need for inventories and slowed the response of...

Employment growth in the New York-New Jersey region in 2000 is expected to reach 1.8 percent, or 290,000 new jobs--continuing a seven-year expansion trend. However, some moderation in the growth in the national economy over the second half of 2000 may slow the region's job growth and prevent it...

The relationship between corporate reputation and investment results is the subject of ongoing debate. Some argue that high-quality firms ultimately provide superior stock price performance; others counter that stock prices already reflect these firms' prospects for growth and profitability. This...