Research

Census Bureau: Postsecondary Enrollment Before, During and After the Great Recession

The Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 influenced significant changes in American postsecondary education, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of students enrolled in college in the United States increased from 2.4 million in 1955 to 19.1 million in 2015. From 2006 to 2011, total college enrollment grew by 3 million,…

Census Bureau: 2017 Economic Census Deadline is June 12th

The 2017 Economic Census is currently collecting data for approximately 3.7 million business locations. With the June 12 deadline approaching, U.S. businesses nationwide, including those in U.S. territories, are asked to report their 2017 year-end numbers for each business location, including sales or revenue, employment, payroll and industry-specific information. The U.S. Census Bureau began notifying…

CFPB: Strengthening the Financial Future of America’s Young Workers

Each year, millions of young adults enter the workforce and take the first steps toward building their financial futures. Since 2014, the Bureau has worked to help job training programs prepare young adults for the key financial decisions that come with their first paycheck. Through this work, the Bureau has heard from youth employment programs…

FHFA: Index Shows Mortgage Rates Increased in April 2018

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from March to April, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts. The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders Index was 4.51 percent for loans closed in late April, up 2 basis points from 4.49 percent in March….

FHFA: U.S. House Prices Rise 1.7 Percent in First Quarter 2018

 Monthly Index Shows 0.1 Percent Increase in March U.S. house prices rose 1.7 percent in the first quarter of 2018 according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index (HPI).  House prices rose 6.9 percent from the first quarter of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018.  FHFA’s seasonally adjusted monthly index for…

CDFI Fund: Application Demand Released for FY 2018 CDFI Program and NACA Program

The fiscal year (FY) 2018 application round for the Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI Program) and Native American CDFI Assistance Program (NACA Program) closed on April 4, 2018. The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) received 538 applications from 485 organizations across the country requesting a total of $504.5 million. Specifically1: 432 organizations…

HUD & Census Bureau: New Residential Sales Report for April 2018

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Census Bureau jointly announced the following new residential sales statistics for April 2018: New Home Sales Sales of new single-family houses in April 2018 were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 662,000. This is 1.5 percent (±11.8 percent)* below the revised March…

FHFA: 2017 Report to Congress Released

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today released its 2017 Report to Congress.  The statutorily-required report provides information about FHFA’s 2017 examinations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac (the Enterprises), 11 Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks) and the FHLBanks’ Office of Finance.  The report also describes FHFA’s actions as conservator of the Enterprises during the year…

Federal Reserve: Board Issues Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households

The Federal Reserve Board’s latest Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households finds that economic well-being has generally improved over the past five years. The report notes that 74 percent of adults reported they were doing at least OK financially in 2017‑‑up 10 percentage points from the first survey in 2013. Even so, notable…