Legislators and regulators around the world strengthened financial regulations following the 2008 financial crisis that helped cause the 2009 global recession and contributed to the severity of the 2007-2009 US recession. However, as the financial crisis recedes from memory and as some participants in the banking industry voice complaints that regulations are preventing them from lending more aggressively, Congress and regulatory agencies have taken steps to curtail some regulations.
April 22, 2019The US civilian labor force is forecast to reach 167 million people in 2022 on annual average growth of less than 1.0%. At the same time, the number of unemployed workers in the labor force is expected to increase by 1.7% annually to 2022.
March 8, 2018The slowdown in healthcare cost inflation, often attributed to the 2007-2009 recession, has generated questions such as what caused it and whether it will last. Notably, as Figure 1 shows, the rate of healthcare inflation has dropped to historically low levels, suggesting structural factors could also be a major driver of the slowdown.
July 18, 2017