When Every Dollar Counts: Worker Perspectives on the Economy

In this recent Connection Communities webinar, discover how low- to moderate-income workers adapt to rising costs and limited opportunities. Hear firsthand stories, research highlights, and Federal Reserve leaders' insights on how financial pressures shape choices, resilience, and the future of our economy. Watch or listen on demand. What does it mean to 'tighten your belt' when you've already run out of notches? Through a compelling combination of on-the-ground research and policy expertise, this session examined how workers who earn low to moderate incomes (LMI) are navigating rising costs, limited opportunities, and a challenging job market. Attendees gained insights on the effects financial distress of LMI communities have on labor market dynamics and economic mobility and resilience.  Featuring highlights from the Worker Perspectives research, this session revealed the daily realities of individuals struggling to make ends meet and illuminated how financial pressure shapes their consumption patterns, employment choices, and long-term planning. Attendees also heard perspectives from the Presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks of Cleveland and Chicago, and the Executive Vice President over Research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta on how insights from various economic stakeholders, including workers and job seekers, provides a unique window in economic conditions and helps to shape monetary policy considerations.  Through this session, policymakers deepened their understanding of how LMI populations experience the economy and the effect of their behavior on macroeconomic trends. Employers gained perspectives on evolving workforce needs and the financial pressures shaping their labor supply and worker decisions. Organizations serving workers and job seekers discovered actionable insights to better support economic mobility and build household resilience.  More on the Worker Perspectives research: https://fedcommunities.org/research/worker-perspectives/