
Labor Markets and Opportunity: Is Our Workforce Getting Smaller?
29 May ’25
President and CEO Patrick T. Harker, Economic Growth & Mobility Project Director Ashley Putnam, and Outreach Economist Ryo Tashiro explore the shrinking U.S. labor force.
Featured Work
Workforce & Economic Development
Perspective
Moving Up or Running in Place? Examining Economic Stability and Mobility in Philadelphia
A recent Philadelphia Fed study examines the hurdles people face to upward mobility. In this article, Philadelphia Fed President and CEO Patrick Harker emphasizes the need for collaborative solutions with input from all stakeholders, including workers.
Understanding Economic Stability and Economic Mobility in Philadelphia
This report details the results of a mixed-methods study that used a survey and focus groups to assess Philadelphians’ experiences related to income, work, expenses, and life satisfaction.
Workforce & Economic Development
Article
Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit
This toolkit offers lessons on using community-engaged qualitative research practices gleaned from the Federal Reserve’s Worker Voices Project and shows how others can employ these methods in their own work.
Featured Data

Anchor Economy Dashboard
Explore the economic impact of anchor institutions in 524 regions across the U.S. The reliance index demonstrates how dependent regional economies are on these institutions and provides a measure of the national average.
Updated: 06 May ’24

Occupational Mobility Explorer
This interactive tool sheds light on career pathways in the U.S. labor market. The tool allows users to explore career paths and visualize how job skills needed for specific occupations can transfer to higher-paying occupations in the same geographical area.
Updated: 23 Sep ’24