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PRICES & SPENDING   •  Oct 2020  •  Volume 9 / Number 13

The effects of tariff rates on the U.S. economy: what the Producer Price Index tells us

The effects of tariff rates on the U.S. economy: what the Producer Price Index tells us

A tariff is a tax levied on an imported good with the intent to limit the volume of foreign imports, protect domestic employment, reduce competition among domestic industries, and increase government revenue.

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PRICES & SPENDING

International cotton trade and causes of price volatility in the United States

This Beyond the Numbers article provides a brief overview of the raw cotton industry and the trade relationship between the United States and China. It uses Bureau of Labor Statistics data from the Producer Price Index (PPI) and reviews trade policies that highlight monthly price changes from 2012 through 2019. The article provides a better understanding of how the U.S.–China trade relationship affects domestic cotton production, the level of trade, and prices in the global cotton market.
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REGIONAL ECONOMIES

Job openings and labor turnover trends for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2019

This Beyond the Numbers article features JOLTS MSA research estimates for the 18-largest MSAs. In this article, we explore trends in a number of measures—job openings, hires, separations (including quits and layoffs and discharges), labor churn, and unemployment—that allow us to compare labor markets in metropolitan areas.
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PRICES & SPENDING

Receipt and use of stimulus payments in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic

Measuring the social, health, and economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, along with policy efforts to address those effects, is of critical national importance. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) distributed stimulus payments as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was signed into law on March 27, 2020. This is a first look at results from the stimulus payments questions, including information on changes in spending patterns .
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