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JOBS:
MORE WORK
TO BE DONE?

Exploring what monetary policy can—and
perhaps cannot—do about labor market slack.

2014 Annual Report

CONTENTS
1

President’s Message

4

Beyond the Unemployment Rate:
Measuring a Changing Labor Market

7

A Million Fewer Involuntary Part-Timers
Was Still Too Many

13

New Work Arrangements:
Fad or Fixture? Some of Both

19

Labor Market Slack Persisted, but Just
How Much?

23

Wage Growth a Missing Piece of the Full
Employment Puzzle

27

Boards of Directors/Management Committee

36

Other Officers

39

Advisory Councils

44

Milestones

51

Credits

It’s our hope that this
report’s analysis of labor
market dynamics in 2014
will provide greater insight
into the monetary policy
decisions the Fed anticipates in 2015.

1
1

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
In our 2014 annual report, the

improved considerably in 2014.

full employment we really are?

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

Some of our District contacts told

These are important questions

highlights two tools we use to gain

us they saw this improvement

because, in 2015, the Federal Open

insight into the health of the labor

reflected in their business during

Market Committee, the policymak-

market: the statistical indicators,

the year. On the other hand, broad

ing group of the Federal Reserve,

measures, and models that provide

labor market measures indicated

expects to begin raising interest

us with objective data and the con-

that, while more people were work-

rates. The timing of “liftoff,” or the

versations with business and other

ing, productivity was lower than

raising of the federal funds rate,

contacts in our District that provide

expected.

hinges on the strength of the econ-

us with personal experiences and
expectations.

omy, which the Federal Reserve
This suggests the labor market

assesses.

and the broader economy still
These two channels provide com-

weren’t operating at full capacity.

It’s our hope that this report’s

plementary perspectives. In this

Some of our District contacts

analysis of labor market dynamics

annual report, we discuss the role

agree, telling us that the labor

in 2014 will provide greater insight

these channels play in the Fed’s

market still has “slack.”

into the monetary policy decisions

formulation of the nation’s monetary policy.

the Fed anticipates in 2015.
But how much labor market slack
remains? How much of that slack

On the one hand, two measures of

has been removed—or can be

labor market health—job creation

removed—by monetary policy? And

and the unemployment rate—

how can we know just how close to

Dennis Lockhart
President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
2

THE TIMING OF
“LIFTOFF,” OR
THE RAISING OF
THE FEDERAL
FUNDS RATE,
HINGES ON THE
STRENGTH OF
THE ECONOMY,
WHICH THE
FEDERAL RESERVE
ASSESSES.
3

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

BEYOND THE
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE:
MEASURING A CHANGING
LABOR MARKET

How close to full

percent at the beginning of 2014

high number of people working

employment are we?

to 5.6 percent in December.

part-time who preferred full-time

In 2014, the Federal Reserve Bank

The unemployment rate is fast

jobs. The ranks of these Americans

of Atlanta continued to focus its

approaching the 5.2 percent to

working part-time for economic

research on the labor market

5.5 percent range the Federal

reasons more than doubled during

and what had to happen before

Open Market Committee (FOMC)

the Great Recession. In total, the

the economy could achieve full

judges to be consistent with full

share of part-time jobs in the labor

employment. Price stability and

employment. The FOMC is the

market climbed to one in five during

maximum employment are the

Fed’s policy-setting body.

the recession. The situation has

two objectives of the Fed’s dual

improved, but by the end of 2014,

mandate from Congress. By the

Without question, the labor market

the number of involuntary part-

end of the year, the U.S. economy

made real progress last year. But

time workers was still well above

had made significant progress

the official unemployment rate and

the prerecession level. In fact, at

toward full employment. Two

monthly job creation numbers can

the end of the year, five-and-a-half

closely watched measures of

tell only part of the story. Broader

years into the recovery, the U.S.

labor market health, job creation

labor market measures continued

jobs market counted about 2.2

and the unemployment rate, had

to indicate that a significant body of

million fewer full-time workers than

improved considerably (see the

available resources—people and their

it did before the recession began in

Total Nonfarm Employment and

capacity to work productively—were

2007.

the Unemployment Rate charts on

not being used. This “slack” meant

page 6).

that the labor market, and thus the

While the rise in part-time

broader economy, was not operating

employment is a concern, data

at full capacity.

suggest the United States does not

Employers added an average
of 260,000 jobs per month

appear fated to become a “part-

during 2014, ahead of the

Number of part-time workers

time economy.” Of the additional

194,000-a-month pace of the

remained high

7.2 million people employed since

previous two years. Meanwhile,

Other important signs of labor

October 2010—when payroll

the jobless rate fell from 6.6

market slack included the still-

job growth turned consistently

4

positive—7.0 million, or 96.8

of labor market resources gradually

depend on data that the Federal

percent, are employed full-time,

diminished. But how much labor

Reserve continues to gather and

according to Atlanta Fed economist

market slack remains? How much of

assess.

Julie Hotchkiss.

that slack has been removed—and

Finally, another signal of labor

can be removed in the future—by

The rest of this annual report will

monetary policy?

explore questions concerning labor

market slack was the lack of

market slack and additional facets

upward wage pressure in 2014.

The answers to these questions

of the nation’s complex, fluid labor

Wage pressure would have given

are critical to the FOMC’s decision

market. We hope the report will

policymakers more confidence in

about the timing of “liftoff,” or

help to illuminate how much labor

the falling unemployment rate. Such

when to raise the federal funds rate

market slack results from transitory

pressure would have indicated that

(see the Effective Federal Funds

factors—which monetary policy can

the gap between current conditions

Rate chart on page 6). When the

address—and how much might be

and full employment was closing.

FOMC decides to begin removing

the result of more lasting changes—

policy accommodation, it will take a

which are generally not directly

How much can

balanced approach consistent with

influenced by Fed policy.

monetary policy do?

its longer-run goals of maximum

Through 2014, a range of indicators

employment and inflation of 2

suggested that the underutilization

percent. And that decision will

Note: Numbers are seasonally adjusted.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

5

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Nonfarm Employment
After robust 2014 employment growth, the United States had added nearly 10 million jobs
since the recession.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Federal Reserve Economic Database, St. Louis Fed.

Unemployment Rate
The uneployment rated ended 2014 at it its lowest point in six-and-a-half years.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Federal Reserve Economic Database, St. Louis Fed.

Effective Federal Funds Rate
The Fed’s main policy interest rate remained extraordinarily low by historic standards.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Source: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

6

A MILLION FEWER
INVOLUNTARY
PART-TIMERS WAS STILL
TOO MANY

”If you go all the way back to the recession, our average number of employees per restaurant may have dropped modestly. But that’s simply a function of lower sales volume.”
DON FOX, CEO, Firehouse of America LLC, Jacksonville, Florida; 800+ restaurants staffed mostly by part-time workers

7

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

PTER trends vary by type of job

nearly 3 percentage points above

improved significantly in 2014,

Although the number of people

the prerecession level, despite

but 6.8 million people who wanted

working part-time involuntarily

last year’s broader decline in the

full-time jobs were still working

remained elevated in 2014, there

number of involuntary part-time

part-time. The number of people in

was progress. That number fell by

workers.

this category, which the U.S. Bureau

about a million last year, compared

of Labor Statistics defines as working

to a decline of only 160,000 in

A permanent or cyclical trend?

“part-time for economic reasons,” or

2013. What’s more, the decline in

A key question is whether

PTER, remained unusually large even

the number of PTER workers was

monetary policy can address

though most of the jobs created in

widespread across industries and

the elevated level and share of

recent years have been full-time.

occupational skill levels, which

involuntary part-time work. In other

is a change from previous years,

words, are these conditions tied to

Many economists, including those

according to the Atlanta Fed’s

ups and downs in the economy—or

at the Atlanta Fed, have noted that

analysis. In previous years, declines

cyclical changes—or they are the

the still-elevated level of part-time

in the number of involuntary

result of more lasting, secular—or

employment indicates the labor

part-time workers occured largely

structural—changes? Research

market still has underutilized

in goods-producing industries.

seems to indicate that there are

resources, or slack. That is slack that

However, in 2014, service-providing

elements of both.

the official unemployment rate does

industries also had notable declines.

U.S. labor market conditions

not capture. In 2014, Atlanta Fed

Employers in an August 2014

research explored trends in PTER

This is significant because service-

survey noted two main reasons

employment to help clarify how

providing industries account

for increased reliance on part-time

much remains to be done to achieve

for nearly 85 percent of PTER

employees within their own firms:

full employment. Data that inform

employment, much of it among low-

a higher cost of employing full-

researchers about the health of the

and middle-skill occupations. The

time workers relative to part-time

economy will help the Federal Open

PTER share of employment in these

employees and weak business

Market Committee decide when to

types of jobs remained elevated at

conditions. The first reason is

begin raising the federal funds rate.

6.7 percent in the fourth quarter,

more of a structural issue; it’s not

8

YET AS THE U.S. ECONOMY CONTINUES TO GAIN STRENGTH AND
CREATE MORE FULL-TIME JOBS, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WORKING
PART-TIME INVOLUNTARILY IS LIKELY TO DECLINE FURTHER.
tied to a dip in the business cycle,

As Fed Chair Janet Yellen noted in

time jobs, the number of people

for example, or a fall in demand.

an August 2014 speech, “the sharp

working part-time involuntarily is

The second reason is cyclical. In

run-up in involuntary part-time

likely to decline further.

the survey, the equal weighting

employment suggests that cyclical

respondents gave to both the

factors are significant.” Yet as the

cyclical and structural factors

U.S. economy continues to gain

suggests both elements are at play.

strength and create more full-

The number of involuntary part-time workers finally fell faster last year but remained high.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Federal Reserve Economic Database, St. Louis Fed.

9

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

PTER RATE
BY INDUSTRY
MANUFACTURING: 2%
After peaking at 4%, the PTER share
of employment has declined faster for
manufacturing jobs than for those in
service-providing industries.

LEISURE & HOSPITALITY: 9%
Similar to many service-providing
sectors, the PTER share of employment
in leisure and hospitality has declined
slowly since peaking at 11%.

RETAIL &
WHOLESALE TRADE: 7%
After peaking at 4%, the PTER share
of employment has declined faster for
manufacturing jobs than for those in
service-providing industries.

10

HOW WE USE THE CURRENT
POPULATION SURVEY

The Current Population Survey helps economists
gauge the health of the labor market. Each
month, the U.S. Census Bureau contacts about
60,000 households. If you were a survey
participant, one of the first things the interviewer
would ask you is, do you have a job? If you do,
the interviewer asks about the occupation, who
you work for, how much you earn, and how many
hours you work per week. If you don’t have a job,
the interviewer asks if you want a job and what
you are doing to find one. If you don’t want a job,
the interviewer asks, why not? The structure of
the survey allows us to track participants over
time and measure how freely people are moving
around the labor market. For example, we can
determine the rate at which people working
part-time for economic reasons are able to find
full-time jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics
uses the data to produce headline statistics such
as the labor force participation rate and the
unemployment rate.

Ellie Terry
Economic policy analysis specialist
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

11

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

YET AS THE U.S. ECONOMY
CONTINUES TO GAIN
STRENGTH AND CREATE
MORE FULL-TIME JOBS,
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
WORKING PART-TIME
INVOLUNTARILY IS LIKELY TO
DECLINE FURTHER.

12

NEW WORK
ARRANGEMENTS:
FAD OR FIXTURE?
SOME OF BOTH

”Contract work has been growing significantly for a long time now. Ultimately, what that
means is that for more companies, a larger part of their employment base is this contingent or flexible workforce.”
HAROLD MILLS, CEO, ZeroChaos, Orlando, Florida; helps big companies find and manage contract workers in 42 countries

13

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

As 2014 ended, it seemed

caused simply by overall weakness

important for the increase in the

certain that changes in employer-

in economic demand and thus

use of part-time employees.

employee arrangements that

demand for workers..

intensified during the Great

Overall, Atlanta Fed economists

Recession would persist. Trends in

Costs of full-time hiring,

believe employers will use fewer

workforce management include the

weak overall demand behind

part-time personnel as the

structuring of job positions as part-

part-time surge

economy strengthens further. At

time and the use of temporary staff

Limited data are available to clarify

the same time, the proportion of

and contractors as a permanent and

how persistent nontraditional work

part-time workers probably will not

flexible workforce component.

arrangements might be. When

return to prerecession levels, Fed

data paint an incomplete picture,

research suggests. In other words,

Pattern of restoring reduced

the Atlanta Fed carefully fills gaps

preference for part-time workers is

hours different this time

with anecdotal information from

likely to persist..

Typically, after cutting workers’

business contacts. For example,

hours in a recession—thus adding

in a summer 2014 survey of 340

Income varies with work

to the ranks of part-time workers—

businesses in the Southeast, a

schedules

employers restore those hours

quarter of the business owners said

In addition to results in the

during a recovery. However, during

they had a higher share of part-time

Atlanta Fed survey, the spread of

the sluggish recovery from the Great

workers than before the recession.

nontraditional arrangements is

Recession, this restoration of hours

evident in a broader Fed study.

has not been such a strong trend.

Two reasons for the increase in

In the Board of Governors’

Will the new work arrangements

the use of part-time workers stood

Report on the Economic Well-

prove to be persistent? Evidence

out: higher costs of employing

Being of U.S. Households in 2013,

falls on both sides of the question:

full-time workers compared to

published in July 2014, 21 percent

some employers view new types of

part-time employees and weak

of respondents said that they

work arrangements as a practice

general business conditions. Those

occasionally experience months

they will use longer term; others

two factors, the survey results

with unusually high or low incomes,

report that this phenomenon is

suggested, have been about equally

and 10 percent said that their

14

ATLANTA FED ECONOMISTS
BELIEVE EMPLOYERS WILL USE
FEWER PART-TIME PERSONNEL
AS THE ECONOMY STRENGTHENS FURTHER.

income varies quite a bit from

categories of employee, Atlanta

core question in this case: what

month to month. Among those

Fed analysis suggests. One tool that

is underlying the growth in new

whose income varies, 42 percent

increases employers’ flexibility is

work arrangements? Is it a product

reported that it was because of an

sophisticated software that allows

of insufficient overall demand for

irregular work schedule.

management to schedule staff

labor, which monetary policy can

only when they are needed most,

arguably affect? Or is it a change

Some work schedules will likely

perhaps contributing to the spread

in the fundamental nature of

remain erratic. Employers want

of irregular working schedules

work in the United States, which

to stay nimble so they can adjust

noted in the Fed report.

is theoretically impervious to the

quickly to a dip in business. They

15

effects of monetary policy? There

increasingly seek the flexibility

The dynamics of employer-worker

is good evidence on both sides,

afforded by a mix of employment

relationships matter to the Fed

and researchers are continuing to

arrangements with varying

because those dynamics affect the

investigate

degrees of commitment to

conduct of monetary policy. The

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

HOW MANY COMPANIES HAD A HIGHER SHARE OF
PART-TIME WORKERS THAN BEFORE THE RECESSION?

Note:Shaded areas indicate recessions.
Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics

Source: U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics

16

HOW ANECDOTES
ENRICH DATA

Patel: The Atlanta Fed relies on data to further
our understanding of local, regional, national, and
global economies. But the numbers don’t always
tell the whole story.
Graefe: When that happens, we fill the gaps with
anecdotal information from business contacts
throughout the Southeast.
Patel: Through our Regional Economic
Information Network, or REIN, we collect
grassroots economic intelligence. We speak with
hundreds of businesses in the region.
Graefe: Atlanta Fed officials and REIN leaders
meet extensively with the community groups and
business leaders who are making decisions about
hiring, investing, and other activities that fuel the
economy.

Laurel Graefe
Regional Economic Information Network director
Federal Reserve Bank fo Atlanta

20
17

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Patel: Our contacts range from small, owneroperated companies with a local focus to large
national and even international corporations.
Graefe: So we not only get a sense of activity in
the region, but we also learn about the national
and local economy more broadly.
Patel: The information we collect adds color
and texture to our data. And through these
conversations, the public’s voice makes an
important contribution to the Federal Reserve’s
formulation of sound monetary policy.

Shalini Patel
Regional Economic Information Network director
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

18

LABOR MARKET SLACK
PERSISTED, BUT JUST
HOW MUCH?

”We used to see a big glut of retirements for people around 60 years old, but with the challenged economic situation we found ourselves in, that 60 moved to about 62 years old.
People have stayed longer.”
TOM FANNING, CEO, Southern Company, Atlanta, Georgia; an energy company serving, through its subsidiaries, 4.4 million
customers in a 120,000-square-mile territory in the Southeast

19

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Shifting labor force participation

upward pressure on labor force

said Atlanta Fed President Dennis

clouded unemployment picture

participation.

Lockhart in an early 2014 speech.

Although the labor force

“To get close to full employment…

participation rate (LFPR) has

That may be happening already.

would involve substantial

trended down since early 2000

The LFPR decreased only 0.1

absorption of this ‘shadow labor

(when the LFPR was 67 percent),

percentage point in 2014, the

force,’” he said.

the recession exacerbated the

smallest 12-month decline in six

decline (see the Labor Force

years.

Broader measures provide clues
on full employment

Participation Rate chart). At the end
of 2014, roughly 62.7 percent of the

Marginally attached workers a

As policymakers look for signs

working age population was either

“shadow labor force”

that the economy is nearing full

employed or actively seeking work,

About 2.2 million of those no longer

employment, they have paid

the lowest level since the 1970s.

in the labor force were considered

particular attention to a broader

“marginally attached” in the fourth

measure of unemployment,

A key issue for Fed policymakers

quarter of 2014, meaning they

officially called the U-6, which

is how much of the decline is tied

wanted and were available to work

counts marginally attached and

to the weak economy—because

but had not looked for a job in the

involuntary part-time workers

people have given up looking for

most recent month.

among the unemployed (see the

work or have stayed longer in

Components of U-6 and the U-3

school, for instance—and how much

People in this category are not

versus U-6 charts on page 22). At

is due to longer-term structural

counted among the unemployed,

11.6 percent in December, nearly

trends.

yet they are a “shadow labor force”

double the official unemployment

of sorts because they tend to

rate (U-3), this broad measure

Atlanta Fed research suggests that

reenter the job market at relatively

painted a picture of continued slack.

about half of the decline since 2007

high rates. About 40 percent of

A narrowing of the gap between

is due to demographic changes,

the marginally attached in any

the two rates would indicate that

especially the aging population.

given month join the official labor

the supply of labor resources is

Weak employment prospects

force in the subsequent month,

tightening, moving the economy

have also played a role. As a result,

according to Atlanta Fed research.

closer to full employment.

improving labor market conditions

Thus, there’s a strong argument

may lure discouraged workers

for including at least a share of the

from the sidelines, in turn putting

marginally attached as unemployed,

20

WHY U-3 AND U-6
ARE IMPORTANT

In addition to the headline unemployment rate,
also known as U-3, there’s a broader statistic
called U-6. U-6 incorporates people who are
working part-time but want a full-time job.
Usually, U-3 and U-6 track each other, and so
little is lost by focusing just on U-3. But the two
statistics have diverged since the recession, as
the number of people involuntarily working parttime has not declined as rapidly as the number of
unemployed.
As monetary policymakers, we’re currently
watching for U-3 and U-6 to fall and converge.
This would indicate the economy is absorbing
labor market slack. When the supply of labor
resources is tighter, we are moving closer to the
Fed’s goal of full employment.

John Robertson
Vice president and senior economist
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta

21

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Labor Force Participation Rate
The Percent of people working or seeking work continued a long-term decline.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Federal Reserve Economic Database, St. Louis Fed.

U-3 Versus U-6
The broader measure of unemployment indicated persistent labor market slack.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Federal Reserve Economic Database, St. Louis Fed.

Components of U-6
People working part-time for economic reasons made up a large share of the U-6 unemployment rate.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession.
Sources: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

22

WAGE GROWTH A
MISSING PIECE OF THE
FULL EMPLOYMENT
PUZZLE

”We have increased hourly wages at least once since the recession.... What we have also
done is maintain good individual health insurance 100 percent at our expense.”
LARKIN MARTIN, owner, Martin Farms, Courtland, Alabama; employs 15 people, 12 full-time, on a 7,000-acre farm

23

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

During 2014, employment growth

market. As the labor market

opportunities. And within many

turned in its best year since 2000.

strengthened considerably, broad-

jobs, the demand for more hours

The official unemployment rate

based wage growth was a missing

has been greater than the supply

fell to 5.6 percent, from its high

ingredient that would bolster

of hours offered by employers.

of 10 percent five years earlier.

policymakers’ confidence that full

Atlanta Fed economist Patrick

Nevertheless, that strength in the

employment is at hand.

Higgins found that, in addition to

labor market did not translate to

unemployment, the effect of the

bigger paychecks for most workers,

Economists were unable to identify

elevated share of PTER workers

and evidence on wages remained

a single, underlying reason for

helps explain weak wage growth

mixed in 2014.

sluggish wage growth. But Atlanta

and some of the sluggish inflation

Fed analysis suggested that among

since the recession (see the Median

Average private-sector wages

many factors, two were especially

Year-over-Year Wage Growth

rose by just 1.7 percent during the

significant.

chart).

according to the U.S. Bureau of

Still-high numbers working PTER

A secondary factor that could have

Labor Statistics (BLS) Payroll Survey.

weighed on wages

slowed wage growth is related to

A different measure of wage growth,

Start with the simplest explanation

the composition of employment.

the Employment Cost Index, which

economists often cite for weak

For example, for full-time workers,

adjusts for the changing composition

wage growth: an imbalance in labor

year-over-year median wage

of jobs over time and measures labor

supply and demand. A still relatively

growth was just under 2 percent in

costs beyond just wages, ticked

large supply of unemployed and

2009; it steadily climbed to nearly

slightly higher later in the year.

underemployed workers—including

3 percent in the third quarter of

Still, all measures of wage growth

people working part-time who

2014. Part-timers found the going

remained well below historical

wanted full-time work (part-time

much tougher. Their median wage

norms through 2014.

for economic reasons, or PTER)—

growth was about half as much as

could be restraining wage growth.

that of full-time workers from 2011

Subdued wage increases are not

That is, there is intense competition

through 2013, according to Atlanta

characteristic of a tight labor

among job seekers for available job

Fed researchers who analyzed

year, barely outpacing inflation,

24

data from the U.S. Census Bureau

Atlanta Fed analysis showed. The

nadir of 2009, according to the

Survey of Income and Program

good news is that the number

BLS. The combination of continued

Participation. An elevated share of

of people working part-time for

strong growth in full-time

employment in part-time jobs may

economic reasons declined by

employment and further reduction

have depressed overall hourly wage

almost a million during 2014, to

in the PTER rolls would bode well

growth to some extent.

roughly 6.8 million, or 4.6 percent

for a return to more normal wage

of all workers, according to the BLS.

growth trends going forward,

More recent data from the

That was four times the decrease in

Atlanta Fed analysis suggested.

U.S. Census Bureau’s Current

2013.
Recession took big toll on wages

Population Survey suggest that
overall wage growth picked up

PTER rolls shrank as many

Low wage growth since the

during 2014 and that the gap

employers increased workers’

Great Recession is a product of

between part-time and full-time

hours, BLS data indicate. By the

compound forces. What is clear

wage growth began to close. These

end of 2014, average weekly work

is that the economic downturn

are encouraging findings. But the

hours for private-sector production

battered Americans’ paychecks.

wage growth of part-time workers

and nonsupervisory employees had

The recession displaced millions

as a group continued to lag well

returned to prerecession levels and

of U.S. workers and left them with

behind that of full-time workers,

were up substantially from their

the largest earnings reductions

Pay raises for part-time workers continued to lag those of full-time employees.

Note: Shaded areas indicate recession. Lines represent median year-over-year wage growth, quarterly average.
Sources: Current Population Survey, authors’ calculations

25

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2013 (most recent data available)

since the BLS began the Displaced

healthy wages are critical to the

As Atlanta Fed President Dennis

Worker Survey in 1984, according

well-being of Americans.

Lockhart pointed out in a July 2014

to the Cleveland Fed working

speech, wage pressures would

paper “Why Do Earnings Fall with

Wage growth is a significant

constitute important evidence that

Displacement?”

component of broader inflation.

the nation is progressing toward

So perhaps not surprisingly, given

full employment and moving

Wage growth is intertwined with

lagging wages, most readings of

closer to the Federal Open Market

the Fed’s dual mandate

inflation remained well below the

Committee’s inflation target of 2

Wage growth matters to the Fed.

Fed’s goal of 2 percent throughout

percent.

Wages and broader labor costs

2014. Fed policymakers seek signs

are crucial to both components of

of upward pressure on wages, and

the central bank’s dual mandate:

in turn wider inflation, to help them

price stability and maximum

decide when to begin raising the

employment. And, of course,

federal funds rate.

26

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA
BOARDS OF DIRECTORS
Federal Reserve Banks each have a board of nine directors. Directors provide
economic information, have broad oversight responsibility for their bank’s
operations, and, with the Board of Governors approval, appoint the bank’s
president and first vice president.
Six directors—three class A, representing the banking industry, and three
class B—are elected by banks that are members of the Federal Reserve
System. Three class C directors (including the chair and deputy chair) are
appointed by the Board of Governors. Class B and C directors represent
agriculture, commerce, industry, labor, and consumers in the district; they
cannot be officers, directors, or employees of a bank; class C directors
cannot be bank stockholders.
Fed branch office boards have five or seven directors; the majority are
appointed by head-office directors and the rest by the Board of Governors.

27

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

28

ATLANTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THOMAS I. BARKIN, CHAIR
Director
McKinsey & Company
Atlanta, Georgia

THOMAS A. FANNING,
DEPUTY CHAIR
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Southern Company
Atlanta, Georgia

RENÉE LEWIS GLOVER
Former President and Chief
Executive Officer
Atlanta Housing Authority
Atlanta, Georgia

GERARD R. HOST
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Trustmark Corporation
Jackson, Mississippi

T. ANTHONY HUMPHRIES
President and
Chief Executive Officer
NobleBank & Trust
Anniston, Alabama

MICHAEL J. JACKSON
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
AutoNation Inc.
Fort Lauderdale, Florida

CLARENCE OTIS, JR.
Former Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
Darden Restaurants Inc.
Orlando, Florida

WILLIAM H. ROGERS JR.
Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
SunTrust Banks Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

JOSÉ S. SUQUET
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Pan-American Life
Insurance Group
New Orleans, Louisiana

29

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

BIRMINGHAM BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THOMAS R. STANTON, CHAIR
Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
ADTRAN Inc.
Huntsville, Alabama

BRANDON W. BISHOP
Representative,
Southern Region
International Union of
Operating Engineers
Birmingham, Alabama

ROBERT W. DUMAS
President and
Chief Executive Officer
AuburnBank
Auburn, Alabama

JOHN A. LANGLOH
President and
Chief Executive Officer
United Way of Central Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama

JAMES K. LYONS
Director and
Chief Executive Officer
Alabama State Port Authority
Mobile, Alabama

MACKE B. MAULDIN
President
Bank Independent
Sheffield, Alabama

PAMELA B. HUDSON, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer
Crestwood Medical Center
Huntsville, Alabama

30

JACKSONVILLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

LYNDA L. WEATHERMAN,
CHAIR
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Economic Development
Commission of Florida’s
Space Coast
Rockledge, Florida

OSCAR J. HORTON
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Sun State International
Trucks LLC
Tampa, Florida

31

HUGH F. DAILEY
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Community Bank &
Trust of Florida
Ocala, Florida

D. KEVIN JONES
President and
Chief Executive Officer
MIDFLORIDA Credit Union
Lakeland, Florida

CAROLYN M. FENNELL
Director of Public Affairs
Greater Orlando Aviation
Authority Orlando
International Airport
Orlando, Florida

MICHAEL J. GREBE
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
Interline Brands Inc.
Jacksonville, Florida

HAROLD MILLS
Chief Executive Officer
ZeroChaos
Orlando, Florida

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

MIAMI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

THOMAS W. HURLEY, CHAIR
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
Becker Holding Corporation
Vero Beach, Florida

FACUNDO L. BACARDI
Chairman
Bacardi Limited
Coral Gables, Florida

ALBERTO DOSAL
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
Dosal Capital LLC
Doral, Florida

ROLANDO MONTOYA
Provost
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

GARY L. TICE
Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer
First Florida Integrity Bank
Naples, Florida

MILLAR WILSON
Vice Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer
Mercantil Commercebank
Coral Gables, Florida

CAROL C. LANG
President
HealthLink Enterprises Inc.
Miami Beach, Florida

32

NASHVILLE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

SCOTT MCWILLIAMS, CHAIR
Executive Chairman and Chief
Customer Officer
OHL
Brentwood, Tennessee

WILLIAM Y. CARROLL JR.
President and
Chief Executive Officer
SmartBank
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

33

KENT M. ADAMS
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Caterpillar Financial Services
Corporation Vice President,
Caterpillar Inc.
Nashville, Tennessee

DAN W. HOGAN
Chief Operating Officer
CapStar Bank
Nashville, Tennessee

JENNIFER S. BANNER
Chief Executive Officer
Schaad Companies LLC
Knoxville, Tennessee

KATHLEEN CALLIGAN
Chief Executive Officer
Better Business Bureau
Middle Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee

WILLIAM J. KRUEGER
Chairman
JATCO Americas
Franklin, Tennessee

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

NEW ORLEANS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TERRIE P. STERLING, CHAIR
Executive Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer
Our Lady of the Lake Regional
Medical Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

ELIZABETH A. ARDOIN
Senior Executive Vice
PresidentDirector of
Communications
IBERIABANK
Lafayette, Louisiana

CARL J. CHANEY
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Hancock Holding Company
New Orleans, Louisiana

SUZANNE T. MESTAYER
Managing Principal
ThirtyNorth Investments LLC
New Orleans, Louisiana

KEVIN P. REILLY JR.
President and Chairman
Lamar Advertising Company
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

T. LEE ROBINSON JR.
President
OHC Inc.
Mobile, Alabama

PHILLIP R. MAY
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Entergy Louisiana LLC
and Entergy Gulf States
Louisiana L.L.C.
Jefferson, Louisiana

34

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

35

DENNIS P. LOCKHART
President and
Chief Executive Officer

MARIE C. GOODING
First Vice President and
Chief Operating Officer

DAVID E. ALTIG
Executive Vice President and
Director of Research

ANDRÉ T. ANDERSON
Senior Vice President and
Corporate Engagement Officer

W. BRIAN BOWLING
Adviser, Senior Vice President,
and General Auditor

LEAH L. DAVENPORT
Senior Vice President

ANNE M. DEBEER
Senior Vice President and
Chief Information and
Financial Officer

MICHAEL E. JOHNSON
Senior Vice President

RICHARD A. JONES
Adviser, Senior Vice President,
and General Counsel

JAMES M. MCKEE
Senior Vice President
(Retired)

CHERYL L. VENABLE
Senior Vice President and
Retail Payments Product
Manager

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

OTHER OFFICERS
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA

36

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS
BRIAN D. EGAN
Senior Vice President

SCOTT H. DAKE
Senior Vice President

VICE PRESIDENTS
KELLY A. BERNARD
Vice President
MICHAEL F. BRYAN
Vice President and
Senior Economist
JOAN H. BUCHANAN
Vice President and
Chief Diversity Officer
ANNELLA D. CAMPBELL-DRAKE
Vice President
MICHAEL J. CHRISZT
Vice President and
Public Infomation Officer
SUZANNA J. COSTELLO
Vice President
THOMAS J. CUNNINGHAM
Vice President and Regional
Executive, Atlanta
W. JEFF DEVINE
Vice President
RICHARD M. FRAHER
Vice President and Counsel to
the Retail Payments Office

37

KAREN B. GILMORE
Vice President and Regional
Executive, Miami
AMY S. GOODMAN
Vice President,
New Orleans
CYNTHIA C. GOODWIN
Vice President
PAUL W. GRAHAM
Vice President and
Branch Manager, Miami
TODD H. GREENE
Vice President and Community
Affairs Officer
LEE C. JONES
Vice President and Regional
Executive, Nashville
MARY M. KEPLER
Vice President and
Chief Risk Officer
JOHN A. KOLB JR.
Vice President

JACQUELYN LEE (RETIRED)
Vice President
D. BLAKE LYONS
Vice President
LESLEY A. McCLURE
Vice President and Regional
Executive, Birmingham

ADRIENNE L. SLACK
Vice President and Regional
Executive, New Orleans
PAULA A. TKAC
Vice President and
Senior Economist
CHARLES L. WEEMS
Vice President

BOBBIE McCRACKIN (RETIRED)
Vice President and
Public Affairs Officer

JULIUS WEYMAN
Vice President

DAVID R. MCDERMITT
Vice President and Chief
Information Security Officer

CHRISTINA M. WILSON
Vice President and Branch Manager, Jacksonville

CHRISTOPHER OAKLEY
Vice President and Regional
Executive, Jacksonville

STEPHEN W. WISE
Vice President

CYNTHIA L. RASCHE
Vice President
JOHN C. ROBERTSON
Vice President and
Senior Economist
JUAN C. SANCHEZ
Vice President

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENTS
CHRISTOPHER N. ALEXANDER
Assistant Vice President

JENNIFER L. GIBILTERRA
Assistant Vice President

M. DARLENE MARTIN
Assistant Vice President

MARIA SMITH
Assistant Vice President

DANIEL M. BAUM
Assistant Vice President

JAMES M. GIBSON
Assistant Vice President and
Assistant General Auditor

DANIEL A. MASLANEY
Assistant Vice President

RICHARD H. SQUIRES
Assistant Vice President and
Branch Manager, New Orleans

S. DWIGHT BLACKWOOD
Assistant Vice President and
Assistant General Counsel
KIM BLYTHE
Assistant Vice President
ANITA F. BROWN
Assistant Vice President
KAREN W. CLAYTON
Assistant Vice President, EEO
Officer, and Deputy Diversity
Officer
CHAPELLE D. DAVIS
Assistant Vice President
S. PAIGE DENNARD
Assistant Vice President
ANGELA H. DIRR
Assistant Vice President and
Assistant General Counsel
PATRICK E. DYER
Assistant Vice President

REBECCA L. GUNN
Assistant Vice President and
Corporate Secretary
PAIGE B. HARRIS
Assistant Vice President
CAROLYN ANN HEALY
Assistant Vice President

LANTANYA N. MAURIELLO
Assistant Vice President
V. SRINIVAS NORI
Assistant Vice President
KERRI R. O’ROURKE-ROBINSON
Assistant Vice President

ANTHONY S. STALLINGS
Assistant Vice President
ALLEN D. STANLEY
Assistant Vice President
JEFFREY W. THOMAS
Assistant Vice President

J. ELAINE PHIFER
Assistant Vice President and
Compliance Officer

WILLIAM R. WHEELER III
Assistant Vice President

DORIS QUIROS
Assistant Vice President

KENNETH WILCOX
Assistant Vice President

JASWANTH G. RAO
Assistant Vice President

MICHAEL R. WILLIAMS
Assistant Vice President

KARL LAMB
Assistant Vice President

ROBIN R. RATLIFF
Assistant Vice President and
Public Information Officer

MOLLY T. WILLISON
Assistant Vice President

KAREN LEONE DE NIE
Assistant Vice President

PRINCETON G. ROSE
Assistant Vice President

STEPHEN A. LEVY
Assistant Vice President

JEFFREY F. SCHIELE
Assistant Vice President

KATHRYN G. HINTON
Assistant Vice President
EVETTE H. JONES
Assistant Vice President
TORION L. KENT
Assistant Vice President

G. EDWARD YOUNG
Assistant Vice President

GREGORY S. FULLER
Assistant Vice President

38

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA
ADVISORY COUNCILS

39

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE

O. B. GRAYSON HALL JR.
Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Regions Financial Corporation
Birmingham, Alabama

REGIONAL ECONOMIC INFORMATION NETWORK (REIN) ADVISORY COUNCILS
AGRICULTURE
DAVID BERTRAND
Owner/Partner
Bertrand Rice LLC
Elton, LA

MIKE GILES
President
Georgia Poultry Federation
Gainesville, GA

GAYLON LAWRENCE
Partner
The Lawrence Group
Nashville, TN

JILL STUCKEY
Chief Relationship Officer
J&J EcoCool
Plains, GA

LORRAINE BERTRAND
Owner/Partner
Bertrand Rice LLC
Elton, LA

GEORGE F. HAMNER JR.
President
Indian River Exchange Packers Inc.
Vero Beach, FL

LARKIN MARTIN
Owner
Martin Farms
Courtland, AL

ROBERT M. THOMAS
President
Two Rivers Ranch Inc.
Thonotosassa, FL

DONNA JO CURTIS
Owner/Operator
Curtis Farm
Athens, AL

DAVID KAHN
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Pizza 120 LLC
Birmingham AL

JAMES H. SANFORD
Chairman of the Board
HOME Place Farm
Prattville, AL

JOHN D. WILLIAMS
President and
Chief Executive Officer
Zen-Noh Grain Corporation
Covington, LA

JOHN E. ESTES JR.
Vice President
J. E. Estes Wood Company Inc.
Monroeville, AL

BART KRISLE
Chief Executive Officer
Tennessee Farmers Co-op
LaVergne, TN

W. GILBERT SELLERS
President
Sellers Inc.
Troy, AL

40

ENERGY
KENNETH BEER
Executive Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
Stone Energy
Lafayette, LA

W. PAUL BOWERS
Chairman, President and Chief
Financial Officer
Georgia Power Company
Atlanta, GA

MARK MAISTO
President, Commodities, Trading
and Commercial Services
Nextera Energy
Juno Beach, FL

DONALD BOLLINGER
Chairman
Bollinger Enterprises LLC
Houma, LA

CHARLES GOODSON
Chairman, President and Chief
Financial Officer
PetroQuest Energy
Lafayette, LA

MICHAEL MANSFIELD
Chief Executive Officer
Mansfield Oil Company
Gainesville, GA

DELOY MILLER
Executive Chairman
Miller Energy Resources
Huntsville, TN
EARL SHIPP
Vice President
Dow Chemical Texas Operations
Freeport, TX
STEPHEN TOUPS
Corporate Vice President
Turner Industries
Baton Rouge, LA

TRADE AND TRANSPORTATION
MARK BOSTICK
President
COMCAR Industries
Auburndale, FL
JOHN GILES
Chief Executive Officer
Central Maine and Quebec
Railway
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
CLARENCE GOODEN
Executive Vice President
CSX Corporation
Jacksonville, FL

41

MYRON GRAY
President, U.S. Operations
United Parcel Service of
America Inc.
Atlanta, GA
BILL JOHNSON
Former Port Director
Port of Miami
Miami, FL
GARY LAGRANGE
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Port of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA

CHRIS MANGOS
Director of Marketing Division
Miami-Dade Aviation Department
Miami, FL
DEBORAH A. MCDOWELL
Director of Customer Service and
Business Development
Seaonus
Jacksonville, FL

DAVID PARKER
Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer
Covenant Transportation
Chattanooga, TN
ANDY POWELL
Vice President and General
Manager
Grieg Star
Atlanta, GA

CLIFFORD K. OTTO
President
Saddle Creek Logistics Services
Lakeland, FL

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

TRAVEL AND TOURISM
ROBERT DEARDEN
Chief Operating Officer
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging
Association
Tallahassee, FL
LOREEN CHANT
President, North Miami Campus
Johnson & Wales University
Miami, FL
SHELLY SMITH FANO
Director of Hospitality
Management
Miami Dade College
Miami, FL
CYNTHIA FLOWERS
Executive Manager
Alabama Tourism Department
Montgomery, AL

NICKI GROSSMAN
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau
Fort Lauderdale, FL
KEVIN LANSBERRY
Senior Vice President and Chief
Financial Officer
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
U.S.
Orlando, FL
MARK ROMIG
President and Chief Executive
Officer
New Orleans Tourism Marketing
Corporation
New Orleans, LA

WILL SECCOMBE
President and Chief Executive
Officer
VISIT FLORIDA
Tallahassee, FL

JACK WERT
Executive Director
Naples, Marco Island, Everglades
Convention and Visitors Bureau
Naples, FL

WILLIAM D. TALBERT III
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Greater Miami Convention and
Visitors Bureau
Miami, FL

ANDREW WEXLER
Chief Financial Officer
Herschend Family Entertainment
Corporation
Peachtree Corners, GA

MARK VAUGHAN
Executive Vice President and
Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
Atlanta Convention and Visitors
Bureau
Atlanta, GA

SUSAN H. WHITAKER
Commissioner
Tennessee Department of Tourist
Development
Nashville, TN

OTHER ADVISORY COUNCILS
CENTER FOR QUANTITATIVE ECONOMIC RESEARCH ADVISORY COUNCIL
LARRY CHRISTIANO
Department of Economics
Northwestern University
MARTIN EICHENBAUM
Ethel and John Lindgren Professor of Economics
Northwestern University

SERGIO REBELO
Department of Economics Kellogg School of Management
Northwestern University

RICHARD ROGERSON
Department of Economics and
Public Affairs
Woodrow Wilson School of Public
and International Affairs
Princeton University

TOM SARGENT
Department of Economics
New York University
CHRIS SIMS
Department of Economics
Princeton University

42

COMMUNITY DEPOSITORY INSTITUTIONS ADVISORY COUNCIL
AUSTIN H. ADKINS
Chief Executive Officer
First National Bank
Hamilton, AL
EARL O. BRADLEY III
Chief Executive Officer
First Advantage Bank
Clarksville, TN
THOMAS A. BROUGHTON III
RESIGNED
President and Chief Executive
Officer
ServisFirst Bank
Birmingham, AL

MILTON H. JONES JR. RESIGNED
Executive Chairman
CertusBank, N.A. and Certus
Holdings, Inc.
Atlanta, GA

JOSEPH F. QUINLAN III
President and Chief Executive
Officer
First National Bankers Bank
Baton Rouge, LA

AGUSTIN VELASCO
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Interamerican Bank, FSB
Miami, FL

MIRIAM LOPEZ
President and Chief Lending
Officer
Marquis Bank
Coral Gables, FL

MARK E. ROSA
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Jefferson Financial Credit Union
Metairie, LA

TERRY WEST
President and Chief Executive
Officer
VyStar Credit Union
Jacksonville, FL

FRED MILLER
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Bank of Anguilla
Anguilla, MS

CLAIRE W. TUCKER
President and Chief Executive
Officer
CapStar Bank
Nashville, TN

DOUGLAS L. WILLIAMS
President and Chief Executive
Officer
Atlantic Capital Bank
Atlanta, GA

JOSEPH KILKENNY
Assistant Vice President
Railroad Education and Development CSX Transportation
Jacksonville, FL

ANOOP MISHRA
Chief Executive Officer
Employers Drug Program Management Inc.
Birmingham, AL

MARK STOUT
Vice President, Human Resources
Nissan North America
Franklin, TN

JAMES D. KING
Vice Chancellor
Tennessee Colleges of Applied
Technology
Nashville, TN

STEPHEN NEWMAN
Chief Operating Officer (retired)
Tenet Healthcare Corporation
Dallas, TX

VICTORIA VILLALBA
President
Victoria & Associates Career
Services Inc.
Miami, FL

CYNTHIA N. DAY
Citizens Trust Bank
ServisFirst Bank
Atlanta, GA

LABOR, EDUCATION AND HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL
JAY BERKELHAMER
Past President
American Academy of Pediatrics
Atlanta, GA
RICHARD HOBBIE
Visiting Scholar Heldrich Center
for Workforce Development
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ
KEITH JACKSON
Vice President, Human Resources
AT&T Services Inc.
Atlanta, GA
ROB KIGHT
Senior Vice President
Global HR Services and Labor
Relations Delta Air Lines
Atlanta, GA

43

DENISE MCLEOD
Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Landrum Staffing Services
Pensacola, FL

LES RANGE
Regional Administrator
U.S. Department of Labor
Atlanta, GA
KEN RICHARDS
President
Resource Mosaic
Atlanta, GA

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA
MILESTONES

44

JANUARY 7, 2014

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
Forty employees served on the boards of
directors of nonprofit agencies, most of
them focused on education, workforce
development, and community building.

JANUARY 13, 2014

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
The economic education team conducted 175 workshops, which reached 5,177
teachers, who in turn reached an estimated
388,275 students. The team made an additional 114 presentations at teacher workdays and conferences, reaching more than
5,000 teachers. Roughly half of the Atlanta
Fed’s financial literacy and financial education programming was consumed online
during 2014.

JANUARY 16, 2014

JANUARY 21, 2014

RESEARCH AND MONETARY POLICY
Atlanta Fed economists published research
on a diverse set of topics including family
welfare and the Great Recession, the effect
of large investors on asset quality, early
publicly owned banks, and the effect of offshoring and low-skilled immigration on real
wage growth.

45

Atlanta Fed President and CEO Dennis Lockhart

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
Beginning in January, President Dennis
Lockhart delivered nearly two dozen
speeches across the Southeast. Major themes
included his thinking on when to normalize
the federal funds rate and the central role of
data in formulating monetary policy .

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

FEBRUARY 27, 2014

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
The S&R Division’s annual Banking Outlook
Conference brought together more than
100 bankers and regulators to discuss such
topics as economic conditions and the policy
environment, the outlook for commercial
real estate, cybersecurity, and recruiting for
the future.

MARCH 1, 2014

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
The Bank’s Supervision and Regulation
(S&R) Division contributed to Federal
Reserve System work on the 2014 Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review
(CCAR), an annual assessment of the capital
adequacy of large, complex U.S. bank holding
companies.

MARCH 12, 2014

APRIL 1, 2014

In the first forum of the year, on March 12, behavioral economist Glenn Harrison discussed public
policy with Atlanta Fed economist Paula Tkac.

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
Six Atlanta Fed forums featured renowned
speakers on topics including sustainable
economic development, Bitcoin, aging and
economic decision making, the Fed’s role as
lender of last resort, and the economics of
sports.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
The Bank headquarters’ workforce development partnership with Inman Middle School
was named the best of its kind in Atlanta by
the Atlanta Partners for Education, a venture of the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the
Atlanta Public Schools.

46

APRIL 16, 2014

RESEARCH AND MONETARY POLICY
The Atlanta Fed hosted half a dozen major
research and policy conferences on topics
that included the Affordable Care Act,
employment and social insurance, nonbank financial firms and financial stability,
and transforming workforce development
policies.

APRIL 22, 2014

Supplier diversity

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
The Atlanta Fed was named ninth on
DiversityInc’s 14th annual Top 10 Regional Companies. The portion of the Bank’s
annual procurement spending that went to
minority- and woman-owned firms reached
roughly 11 percent in 2014, more than
double what it was three years earlier, when
the district launched a dedicated supplier
diversity program.

JUNE 2, 2014
MAY 1, 2014

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
For the second consecutive year, the travel
website TripAdvisor awarded its Certificate
of Excellence to the Atlanta Fed Monetary
Museum in Atlanta. The museum attracted
nearly 12,000 walk-in visitors in 2014, while
more than 10,000 people took guided tours.
The Museum of Trade, Finance and the Fed
at the New Orleans Branch, which opened in
2013, attracted more than 1,200 visitors.

47

RETAIL PAYMENTS OFFICE/PAYMENTS
The Fed’s Atlanta-based Retail Payments
Office (RPO) held town hall discussions
on improving the U.S. payments system.
The public forums featured leaders from
numerous Federal Reserve Banks facilitating
conversations about gaps and opportunities
in the payments system, including issues
related to speed, security, settlement and
international payments.

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

JULY 9, 2014

Banker Outreach Forum

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC OUTREACH
About 40 community bankers from Louisiana and Mississippi joined Federal Reserve
Bank of Atlanta leaders at the Atlanta Fed’s
New Orleans Branch in July to discuss
regulation, consolidation, and other financial
industry issues. In September, nearly 70
bankers and Fed officials discussed banking
conditions and regulatory activities at the
Atlanta Fed’s Southeast Bankers Outreach
Forum.

JULY 24, 2014

RETAIL PAYMENTS OFFICE/PAYMENTS
The RPO released the 2013 Federal Reserve
Payments Study Detailed Report. The study
contained updated results on debit and
credit card use, fraud, and discussion of
emerging and alternative forms of payments,
among other information.

JULY 29, 2014
SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

RESEARCH AND MONETARY POLICY
The Atlanta Fed’s Research division
launched GDPNow, a forecasting model
that regularly provides a “nowcast” of gross
domestic product and its subcomponents.

RETAIL PAYMENTS OFFICE/PAYMENTS
The RPO published a “technology roadmap”
detailing a vision of the future of the Fed’s
payments technology.

48

OCTOBER 1, 2014

RESEARCH AND MONETARY POLICY
The Center for Human Capital Studies introduced the Labor Force Participation Dynamics page, which allows visitors to interact
with charts and download chart data. The
web page also guides readers through some
of the major factors that have contributed to
the decline in the labor force participation
rate from 2007 to mid-2014.

OCTOBER 7, 2014

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
The S&R Division launched “ViewPoint
Live,” a twice-yearly webcast for community
bankers that focuses on District bank performance and supervisory issues.

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

NOVEMBER 12, 2014

RETAIL PAYMENTS OFFICE/PAYMENTS
The Atlanta Fed’s Retail Payments Risk
Forum cohosted conferences on the security
of remote payments and risk management
issues related to the role of third-party payments processors.

49

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation
named the Atlanta Fed a Best Place to Work
for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality).

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

DECEMBER 1, 2014

DECEMBER 9, 2014

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION
Sixth District bank performance continued
to improve in 2014. Ninety percent of commercial banks were profitable at the end of
2014, compared to 81 percent a year before.

CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP
The Atlanta Fed’s headquarters was recognized by the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge as a top performer for reducing energy
and water consumption. The Atlanta Fed has
reduced annual energy use by 32 percent
and water use by 22 percent since 2009.

DECEMBER 17, 2014

RESEARCH AND MONETARY POLICY
The Community and Economic Development group helped launch the Metro
Atlanta eXchange for Workforce Solutions,
or MAX, a consortium focused on better
coordinating the region’s workforce development system.

50

ABOUT THE ATLANTA FED
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks in the United States that, with the Board of Governors in Washington,
DC, make up the Federal Reserve System—the nation’s central bank. Since its establishment by an act of Congress in 1913, the Federal Reserve
System’s primary role has been to foster a sound financial system and a healthy economy. To advance this goal, the Atlanta Fed helps formulate
monetary policy, supervises banks and bank and financial holding companies, and provides payment services to depository institutions and the
federal government. Through its six offices in Atlanta, Birmingham, Jacksonville, Miami, Nashville, and New Orleans, the Federal Reserve Bank
of Atlanta serves the Sixth Federal Reserve District, which comprises Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, and parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and
Tennessee.

CREDITS
MIKE CHRISZT
Vice President and Public
Affairs Officer
ROBIN RATLIFF
Assistant Vice President and
Public Information Officer
NANCY CONDON
Project Manager and Editor
CAROLE STARKEY
Web Communications Director
CHARLES DAVIDSON
LELA SOMOZA
Writers

PETER HAMILTON
DARRYL KENNEDY
ODIE SWANEGAN
Interactive Designers
KENDRICK DISCH
Photographer
HOWARD FORE
MOMOLU SANCEA
LESLIE WILLIAMS
MICHAEL ZAVARELLO
Web Developers

KRYSTAL MONTGOMERY
JEAN TATE
Marketing and Social Media

MARK MCELROY
Creative Services Director

JEANNE ZIMMERMANN
Web Editor

KENDRICK DISCH
GRAHAM JUSTICE
JASON PALMER
Video and Cinemagraph
Producers

DON FOX
LARKIN MARTIN
HAROLD MILLS
REIN Business Contacts

DENNIS LOCKHART
DAVE ALTIG
MIKE BRYAN
LAUREL GRAEFE
SHALINI PATEL
JOHN ROBERTSON
ELLIE TERRY
Advisers and Contributors

TOM FANNING
Deputy Chair, Atlanta Fed Board
of Directors

BRANCHES & OFFICES

51

ATLANTA OFFICE
1000 Peachtree Street N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309-4470

JACKSONVILLE BRANCH
800 Water Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32204

BIRMINGHAM BRANCH
524 Liberty Parkway
Birmingham, Alabama
35242-7531

MIAMI BRANCH
9100 N.W. 36th Street
Doral, Florida 33178-2425

NASHVILLE BRANCH
333 Commerce Street
Suite 1000
Nashville, Tennessee 37201
NEW ORLEANS BRANCH
525 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, Louisiana
70130-3480

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF ATLANTA 2014 ANNUAL REPORT

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