Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Wednesday
September 7, 2022
August 2022
Federal Reserve Districts
Minneapolis Boston
New York
Chicago Cleveland
Philadelphia
San Francisco
Kansas City Richmond
St. Louis
Atlanta
Dallas
Alaska and Hawaii The System serves commonwealths and territories as follows: the New York Bank serves the
are part of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; the San Francisco Bank serves
American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
San Francisco District.
This report was prepared at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco based on information collected on or before
August 29, 2022. This document summarizes comments received from contacts outside the Federal Reserve System
and is not a commentary on the views of Federal Reserve officials.
Federal Reserve Banks collect information for the Beige Book from a variety of business and nonbusiness sources.
Beginning September 7, 2022, six Banks started including individual community sections with information from
nonbusiness sources, while the remaining Banks will continue to include such information within the existing struc-
ture of their District reports.
National Summary 1 What is the Beige Book?
The Beige Book is a Federal Reserve System publication about current
economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. It charac-
Boston A-1 terizes regional economic conditions and prospects based on a variety
First District of mostly qualitative information, gathered directly from each District’s
sources. Reports are published eight times per year.
New York B-1 What is the purpose of the Beige Book?
Second District The Beige Book is intended to characterize the change in economic
conditions since the last report. Outreach for the Beige Book is one of
Philadelphia C-1 many ways the Federal Reserve System engages with businesses and
Third District other organizations about economic developments in their communi-
ties. Because this information is collected from a wide range of con-
tacts through a variety of formal and informal methods, the Beige Book
Cleveland D-1 can complement other forms of regional information gathering. The
Fourth District Beige Book is not a commentary on the views of Federal Reserve
officials.
Richmond E-1 How is the information collected?
Fifth District Each Federal Reserve Bank gathers information on current economic
conditions in its District through reports from Bank and Branch direc-
Atlanta F-1 tors, plus interviews and online questionnaires completed by business-
Sixth District es, community organizations, economists, market experts, and other
sources. Contacts are not selected at random; rather, Banks strive to
curate a diverse set of sources that can provide accurate and objective
Chicago G-1 information about a broad range of economic activities. The Beige
Seventh District Book serves as a regular summary of this information for the public.
Labor Markets
Employment rose at a modest to moderate pace in most Districts. Overall labor market conditions remained tight, alt-
hough nearly all Districts highlighted some improvement in labor availability, particularly among manufacturing, construc-
tion, and financial services contacts. Moreover, employers noted improved worker retention, on balance. Wages grew
across all Districts, although reports of a slower pace of increase and moderating salary expectations were widespread.
Employers in several Districts reported giving midyear and off-cycle raises to offset higher living costs, and many noted
that offering bonuses, flexible work arrangements, and comprehensive benefits were deemed necessary to attract and
retain workers. Looking ahead, employers planned to provide end-of-year pay raises to their workers, but expectations for
the pace of wage growth varied across industries and Districts.
Prices
Price levels remained highly elevated, but nine Districts reported some degree of moderation in their rate of increase.
Substantial price increases were reported across all Districts, particularly for food, rent, utilities, and hospitality services.
While manufacturing and construction input costs remained elevated, lower fuel prices and cooling overall demand allevi-
ated cost pressures, especially freight shipping rates. Several Districts reported some tapering in prices for steel, lumber,
and copper. Most contacts expected price pressures to persist at least through the end of the year.
1
National Summary
2
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
A-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
A-2
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
B-1
Federal Reserve Bank of New York
porting period—due mainly to lack of inventory but also rise briskly in July and were up roughly 20 percent from a
to affordability issues which have crimped demand. year earlier in Manhattan and up about 15 percent in
Brooklyn and Queens. Rental vacancy rates turned up
Manufacturing and Distribution modestly but are still near 20-year lows. Rents have also
Manufacturing activity has been choppy, declining signifi- continued to trend up fairly strongly in upstate New York
cantly in recent weeks. However, businesses engaged in and northern New Jersey.
wholesale trade and transportation & warehousing con-
tinued to report modest growth. Manufacturers reported Commercial real estate markets have softened a bit, on
a slight decline in unfilled orders and expect both unfilled balance. Office markets were steady to slightly weaker,
orders and delivery times to decline noticeably in the with vacancy rates edging up in Manhattan, northern New
months ahead. Businesses in manufacturing and distri- Jersey, and upstate New York but steady elsewhere.
bution report some improvement in supply availability, Office rents were little changed across the District. The
and, looking ahead, disruptions and delays are expected industrial market has also shown scattered signs of weak-
to diminish. ening, with vacancy rates steady to modestly higher but
rents continuing to rise briskly. Retail rents were flat, while
Services vacancy rates rose modestly.
Activity in the service sector has been flat to slightly
Construction activity weakened somewhat, as construction
weaker in the latest reporting period. Education & health
starts slipped. Still, a fair amount of space remains under
providers and information firms noted a slight increase in
construction, though this too has declined a bit, as a good
activity, while businesses engaged in leisure & hospitali-
deal of commercial space under development has come or
ty and professional & business services saw a modest
is about to come to market. Industry contacts character-
decline. Businesses in these sectors remain mildly opti-
ized the general business climate as quite negative and
mistic about the near-term outlook.
worsening, and contacts are somewhat pessimistic about
Tourism, however, has continued to show strength. In the near-term outlook.
New York City, hotel occupancy has remained at or
above 75 percent in recent weeks. Domestic tourism has Banking and Finance
been fairly robust, and international visits have picked up Contacts in the broad finance sector characterized the
further, led by Europe, whereas visits from Asia general business climate as negative but improving mod-
(especially China) have lagged substantially. Moreover, estly. Small to medium-sized banks reported lower loan
visitors from Europe have been spending briskly, despite demand across all segments. Refinancing activity also
the weak Euro and Sterling. Underscoring this trend, decreased. Credit standards tightened for business loans
attendance at tourist attractions, such as the Statue of and commercial mortgages but were little changed for
Liberty, has been solid, and the U.S. Tennis Open is consumer loans and home mortgages. Loan spreads
reportedly sold out. Upcoming events, such as the UN widened and deposit rates rose. Finally, delinquency rates
General Assembly and Climate Week, are expected to were unchanged across all categories.
draw more visitors. Business travel, though still well
Community Perspectives
below pre-pandemic levels, has picked up—mainly re-
Community leaders reported that rising prices have had
flecting smaller in-person-only conferences and meet-
various adverse effects on people in the District. Food
ings.
pantry managers were seeing an ongoing rise in food
Real Estate and Construction prices and increased demand from clients, leading to
The home sales market has softened over the summer, heightened food insecurity. However, they noted some
while the rental market has continued to strengthen. In easing of logistical and delivery challenges. With rents
New York City, as well as across most of the District, escalating rapidly, especially in New York City, concerns
homes sales tapered off, and the inventory of available about housing affordability have grown. Some nonprofits’
homes, though still very low, edged higher. Home prices expansion plans, driven by new mandates and funding,
appear to have leveled off across most of the region and have been hampered by labor shortages caused by turno-
the prevalence of bidding wars has receded noticeably. ver, retirements, and wage competition from the private
sector. ■
In contrast, residential rental markets strengthened
further. Throughout New York City, rents continued to
For more information about District economic conditions visit:
www.newyorkfed.org/regional‐economy
B-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
C-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
third quarter of 2022, down from 5.0 percent in the sec- anced as all but one individual loan segment grew mod-
ond quarter of 2022 and a peak of 5.9 percent in the estly to moderately during the period. Inflation is contrib-
fourth quarter of 2021. The expected rate of growth was uting more to the growth during the current year relative
3.5 percent for nonmanufacturers and 5.4 percent for to past years.
manufacturers.
Loan volumes declined at a moderate pace for commer-
Manufacturing cial and industrial loans. Multiple contacts noted a slow-
On average, current manufacturing activity continued to down in commercial loan demand, as potential borrow-
decline slightly. The index of new orders fell from an ers remained concerned about rising interest rates and
already negative reading. Despite the decline in new economic uncertainty. Some contacts also highlighted
orders, the shipments index rose modestly as firms the amount of untouched stimulus money still on firms’
worked through backlogs. balance sheets. Credit card volumes appeared to contin-
ue growing moderately – at a quicker pace than typically
Manufacturing firms’ expectations remained muted. The experienced this season of the year.
indexes of future activity and new orders fell further into
negative territory; however, expectations of future capital Real Estate and Construction
expenditures and employment were positive and even Homebuilders reported that contract signings for new
rebounded slightly. homes continued to fall modestly. However, contacts
noted that sales traffic rebounded slightly in recent
Consumer Spending weeks following the introduction of new incentives and
On balance, retailers (nonauto) and restaurateurs report- lower-priced options.
ed overall sales held steady from the prior period. Most
contacts noted no change in customer traffic, but one Existing home sales continued to fall slightly. While
contact reported smaller purchases per visit. prices continued to rise on a year-over-year basis, con-
tacts noted that the percentage of houses selling for
Auto dealers reported little change to the weak level of more than the asking price declined. Housing affordabil-
sales observed during the prior period, as inventories ity remained a challenge, and rents remained high. The
remained extremely low; sales remained significantly share of 211 calls that sought assistance for housing
below the levels in 2019. While constrained supply have edged higher since the prior period, to 35 percent
makes it difficult to observe demand, one contact noted of total calls – 42 percent of those were for rental assis-
that high prices and rising interest rates appeared to tance. Calls for help with utility bills edged down to 20
slightly reduce demand for vehicles’ most expensive trim percent.
options.
On balance, construction activity and leasing activity for
Overall, tourism continued to grow slightly. The ongoing commercial real estate continued to hold steady. The
recovery of business travel outweighed a slight pullback markets for industrial/warehouse space, multifamily
in leisure travel. Despite the slight slowdown, domestic housing, and institutional projects remained strong.
leisure travel remained strong, particularly at shore desti- Rents for industrial/warehouse space and multifamily
nations. One contact reported that the number of large housing continued to rise. Contacts noted that high input
events, such as conventions and concerts, had returned prices remain a challenge for construction, but price
to near 2019 levels, but attendance at such events re- growth has slowed. Multiple contacts reported that new
mained well below what was seen prior to the pandemic. land purchases and long-term projects have been de-
layed until firms have more clarity on interest rates and
Nonfinancial Services
inflation. ■
On balance, nonmanufacturing activity grew slightly – at
a slower pace than in the prior period. Overall, the share
of firms reporting increases in sales and in new orders
declined, while the share of firms that reported decreas-
es rose in both categories.
Financial Services
The volume of bank lending (excluding credit cards)
grew modestly during the period (not seasonally adjust-
ed) – at a slower pace than in the prior period, but com- For more information about District economic conditions visit:
parable with the same period in 2019. Growth was bal- www.philadelphiafed.org/regional-economy
C-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
Financial Services
Overall loan demand was generally unchanged as a
decline in new mortgage and auto originations was offset
by an increase in commercial lending. Bankers reported
a notable increase in demand for commercial loans and For more information about District economic conditions visit:
credit that they attributed to firms’ initiating projects www.clevelandfed.org/en/region/regional-analysis
D-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
E-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
planes out of service for routine maintenance. Air freight construction continued but new housing starts were
rates remained elevated despite slightly lower fuel costs. down; some input costs declined this period, like lumber,
but on the whole residential construction costs remained
Trucking companies stated that demand had slowed
elevated.
and the number of booked orders had decreased, but
that they were not struggling to find loads as customers Commercial real estate activity remained stable. Some
were still having issues with supply-chain inventory respondents noted that office and retail market activity
backlogs. Respondents indicated that there was ex- was starting to slow while the industrial or multifamily
panding truckload capacity with spot rates down 30% segments continued to experience strong leasing de-
since spring; though, less-than-truckload shipping rates mand, low vacancy rates, and increasing rental rates.
remained unchanged. Most firms reported an improve- There remained a shortage of Class A office space,
ment in hiring drivers. Trucking companies noted contin- especially in suburban markets, and the amount of sub-
ued challenges obtaining parts to maintain their equip- lease space had been shrinking. Retail vacancy rates
ment, causing equipment to be out-of-service for longer continued to edge down; but less desirable retail centers
periods. were still struggling with vacancies. New commercial
construction projects decreased slightly due to higher
Retail, Travel, and Tourism construction costs, lack of availability of some materials,
On balance, retailers reported little to no change in and increased interest rates. Commercial real estate
revenues and a slight softening of consumer demand in capital market activity softened this period.
recent weeks. A few contacts in the fast casual food
service industry reported steady sales and demand but Banking and Finance
saw more consumers shifting away from in-person Loan demand continued to slow modestly across all
ordering to third party delivery services. A furniture commercial loan types, with this being attributed to both
company said that they were still rebuilding their inven- rising rates and economic uncertainty. Residential mort-
tory but were seeing less demand due to price increas- gage demand continued to slow as well, also attributed
es. Auto dealers continued to report low inventory lev- to rising interest rates. Auto loan demand, especially
els, low sales volumes, and some hesitancies by con- used autos, remained stable as rising interest rates did
sumers due to high vehicle costs and higher interest not restrict demand. Deposit growth was flat despite
rates for auto loans. institutions noting they had started to increase rates.
Overall loan quality remained good, but some respond-
Travel and tourism contacts reported steady to slightly
ents noted delinquency rates were starting to move
lower revenues and demand. Hotels in the Fifth District
slightly upward, mainly in their consumer portfolio. Bor-
gave mixed reports. A hotel in South Carolina said that
rower credit quality remained good with no signs of
occupancy in July was down from June but that was
deterioration.
typical, and compared to last June occupancy was up.
In contrast, a hotel in North Carolina saw occupancy Nonfinancial Services
rates lower this July than last year, which was the first Nonfinancial service providers continued to report mod-
time this year that occupancy was down compared to erate growth and stable demand. Contacts were still
the same month last year. However, their average reve- concerned that their increased costs could slow growth
nue per room was reportedly up and future booking and negatively impact employment. Several firms noted
remained strong. Business air travel reportedly picked the lack of labor and supply chain issues were still im-
up and a port contact reported strong demand for leisure pacting their ability to expand. They continue to find
cruises. creative ways to attract and maintain their employee
base, but this was seen as a temporary fix. One firm
Real Estate and Construction
noted they are observing a reduction in consumer
Residential real estate market activity declined moder-
spending and visits to entertainment districts in their
ately this period. Respondents indicated that sales
area. Inflation in all areas of their businesses was a top
volumes were slightly lower and there was a reduction in
concern of many firms. ■
buyer traffic. Inventories of homes for sale and days on
market increased while home prices have softened.
Demand remained strong but it was noted that afforda-
bility was an issue as some buyers no longer qualified to
purchase a house due to elevated home prices coupled
with increasing mortgage rates. Existing new home For more information about District economic conditions visit:
www.richmondfed.org/research/data_analysis
E-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
G-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
stocks of available inputs while also holding on to nearly lower volatility. Business loan demand slowed slightly
completed products as they waited for missing parts to overall, with contacts pointing to higher borrowing rates
arrive. Retail and manufacturing contacts expected and elevated uncertainty as contributing to the slow-
various inventory challenges to persist into 2023. Trans- down. Business loan quality remained very strong,
portation services activity decreased slightly as greater though one contact said they were planning for some
congestion in the rail system slowed container move- weakening in the coming months. Business loan stand-
ment. Capital expenditures increased modestly, with ards tightened some. In consumer markets, loan vol-
contacts highlighting purchases of new equipment, in- umes decreased modestly, with contacts continuing to
cluding machinery and vehicles. Commercial, residential, note large declines in mortgage lending in the face of
and industrial energy consumption was up slightly. higher interest rates. Consumer loan quality was strong
and stable, while standards tightened a bit.
Construction and Real Estate
Construction and real estate activity decreased modestly Agriculture
overall. Residential construction pulled back slightly, and Agricultural income prospects for 2022 were little
homebuilders expected a further decline in coming changed, with contacts continuing to expect that most
months. Residential real estate activity decreased mod- producers would turn a profit this year. Although portions
erately. Contacts noted that the number of offers homes of the District were in drought, farms were generally
typically received had fallen and that it was taking longer expected to have at least average yields for corn and
for them to sell. Home price growth slowed but remained soybeans. Crop progress was behind the typical pace
positive. Rents were up modestly. Nonresidential con- due to late plantings but was catching up. Corn, soy-
struction decreased slightly, as contacts continued to bean, and wheat prices were down from the previous
report project delays and elevated costs. Commercial reporting period, as were prices for milk and eggs. Hog
real estate activity also fell slightly, with contacts high- prices declined slightly from a high level, while cattle
lighting some cooling in the strong demand for industrial prices edged up. Strong demand for agricultural equip-
space. There were concerns about the ability of owners ment continued, with long lead times for delivery.
of multifamily properties to repay floating interest rate
loans that were underwritten with large forecasted rent Community Conditions
increases. Prices and rents fell slightly, as did vacancy Community development organizations and public ad-
rates. ministrators reported little change in overall economic
activity, although inflation was creating financial chal-
Manufacturing lenges for some organizations and their clients. State
Manufacturing demand was down moderately in July and government officials saw healthy growth in tax revenues
early August. Contacts again reported that with slowing over the reporting period. Small business development
new orders they were making headway in filling their organizations noted their manufacturing clients’ large
large backlog of unfilled orders. Still, one contact indicat- order backlogs would take time to clear because of labor
ed that at many manufacturers, current backlogs were and supply chain constraints. Small business investment
large enough to sustain production levels through the demand waned some due to higher interest rates and
end of the year. Output continued to be held back by elevated economic uncertainty. Nonprofits assisting low-
difficulties with labor availability and supply chains. Steel and moderate-income households indicated that higher
demand decreased modestly, with one contact noting a prices for fuel, food, and housing were straining house-
decline in construction demand. There was a moderate hold budgets and leading to strong demand for their
fall in orders of fabricated metals, led by declines in services. Nonprofits also noted financial challenges, as
demand from the transportation sector. Auto production their funding was unable to keep up with rising staff
was little changed, as shortages of microchips and other wages. ■
materials persisted. One contact said there is growing
recognition in the auto industry that the microchip short-
age would continue well into 2023. Heavy truck demand
increased slightly, while inventories continue to be very
low. Demand for heavy machinery was flat.
G-2
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
H-1
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
they were pre-pandemic, and supply chain issues still Banking and Finance
limit the availability of key inputs. Though the backlog of Banking conditions in the District have seen little change
orders remains long, the rate of new orders has slowed since our previous report. On average, surveyed bankers
due to softening demand. Labor shortages from COVID- indicated that overall loan demand has decreased slight-
related absenteeism are still a major concern for manu- ly compared with the same quarter of last year. While
facturers. On average, firms reported they expect slight mortgage loan demand has declined, due to a combina-
increases in production, capacity utilization, and new tion of rising interest rates and low housing inventory,
orders in the coming quarter. demand for commercial and industrial loans has in-
creased moderately. Delinquency rates for all loans are
Nonfinancial Services
largely unchanged relative to the same quarter of last
Activity in the nonfinancial services sector has de-
year, and watch-list loans remain manageable. Banking
creased slightly since our previous report. While freight
contacts in Louisville expect more competitive deposit
air traffic has slightly increased, passenger traffic de-
rates in the coming months, as liquidity wanes from its
creased. A ground transportation company in Kentucky
previously high levels.
reported struggling to meet demand and to find new
trucks and mechanics. Healthcare firms in the Louisville
region saw tight labor markets and high employee turno- Agriculture and Natural Resources
ver rates. Labor costs increased as outpatient medical District agriculture conditions have moderately worsened
clinics competed with hospitals for the same credentialed since our previous report. Compared with the previous
employees by increasing pay by 25% and paying licens- reporting period, crop conditions in the District have
ing fees, but an increase in appointment cancellations either slightly declined or remained relatively unchanged.
and higher out-of-pocket expenses for patients led to Relative to the previous year, the percentage of corn,
fewer sales this quarter. In Eastern Missouri and North- cotton, and soybeans rated fair or better sharply de-
ern Kentucky, post-secondary education institutions saw clined, while the same measure for rice slightly in-
lower enrollment as fewer people opted to attend col- creased. Worsened conditions may be partially attributa-
lege, and childcare contacts reported that a lack of quali- ble to the droughts and severe flooding that have affect-
fied applicants inhibited expansion. ed the District, especially Missouri and Kentucky. Addi-
tionally, District contacts indicated that farming condi-
Real Estate and Construction tions remained strained due to input prices and labor
Commercial real estate activity has slowed slightly since shortages, with the ability to hire quality labor being their
our previous report, with large office buildings competing biggest concern.
for few clients. Industrial real estate inventory remains Natural resource production fell moderately from July to
extremely low, though industrial construction activity has August, with seasonally adjusted coal production de-
increased. creasing just above 7%. Additionally, production is down
Residential real estate demand has slowed significantly approximately 3% from a year ago. ■
since our previous report. Contacts reported that it re-
mains a seller’s market, but the “multiple-offer” market
has ended. Prices remain elevated compared with one
year ago, and inventories are just beginning to return to
pre-pandemic levels. An Arkansas real estate contact
noted that, while demand has contracted, it remains
above pre-pandemic levels.
Demand for rental units has continued to increase since
our previous report—especially for single-family housing.
Rental rates in all four major District MSAs increased
since our previous report. The general outlook of con-
tacts remains negative, with over 80% of contacts in real
estate and construction describing their outlook as
somewhat or significantly worse than the previous quar-
ter.
H-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
I-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis
back from one. A partially retired nonprofit worker was -family homes were lower in markets across the District,
considering returning to full-time work due to inflation with many seeing recent year-over-year sales decline by
pressures and the declining value of retirement savings. 10 percent to 30 percent.
Pressures from higher food and fuel costs were broadly
spread among workers. Manufacturing
Manufacturing activity increased slightly since the
previous report, with some signs of slowing. An index of
Consumer Spending
regional manufacturing conditions indicated increased
Consumer spending was flat overall since the last report,
activity in Minnesota and South Dakota in July compared
with contacts reporting a wide variety of conditions.
with a month earlier, while activity in North Dakota
Several shopping centers reported that sales at home
decreased. Manufacturing respondents to business
furnishing stores, services firms, and restaurants were
surveys reported decreased new orders on balance.
solid, while apparel and luxury retail sales dropped.
Expectations for the near future were generally positive,
Tourism businesses reported strong activity across much
but about a third of manufacturers said their outlook for
of Montana, but the southern region was still suffering
the second half of 2022 was somewhat or very
from closed entrances to Yellowstone National Park. An
pessimistic. A packaging producer announced the
August survey of Minnesota hospitality and tourism firms
closure of a plant in Minnesota.
found modest revenue growth compared with the start of
summer and with the same period last year. In southern Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources
Minnesota, “distilleries, wineries, [and] restaurants are District agricultural conditions strengthened modestly
banging right now.” But some firms reported slowing since the previous report, with notable exceptions. A
sales, including an entertainment center whose survey of agricultural credit conditions pointed to
customers were “not being as frivolous with spending” as continued growth in farm incomes; 80 percent of farm
earlier in the year. Sales of cars, trucks, and various lenders said incomes in their area increased in the
recreational vehicles have slowed, in some cases second quarter from a year earlier. While lenders
significantly, with lower demand and continued inventory reported continued concerns about rising production
shortages both playing a role. Contacts said business costs, commodity prices were strong enough to offset
travel remained subdued. them. However, wheat and small grains production in
Montana will be severely impacted by drought for the
Construction and Real Estate
second year in a row. District oil and gas exploration
Commercial construction was flat since the last report.
activity increased slightly since the last report. A regional
Among several dozen contacts, revenue trends were
electrical transmission operator announced a multibillion-
modestly higher, which some contacts attributed to
dollar, long-term expansion to its grid infrastructure.
higher input costs getting passed on to customers. More
Production at District iron ore mines was expected to
than half said profits declined. Firms reported decent
decrease significantly in 2022 from the previous year,
project backlogs but many challenges, including long
due largely to an idling at one facility along with
product lead times and uncertain pricing that “make it
reductions in output at others.
hard to bid projects and not lose money,” said one
contact. Residential housing slowed. Recent single- Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises
family permitting was lower across the District’s larger Reports from minority- and women-owned business
markets compared with a year earlier, with higher enterprises in the District were mixed. Services firms
interest rates reportedly pushing some builders and reported experiencing positive sales and profits while
buyers to pause projects. some retail and hospitality contacts had much lower
Commercial real estate was flat overall since the last sales compared to the same time last year. Hiring,
report. Real estate sources said that the office market prices, and the availability of input materials remained a
continued to soften, with rising vacancy rates and challenge for many. Outlooks for the next four-week
subleasing activity. Office space sales also remained period were slightly more positive; contacts expected
subdued with the increase in interest rates and related sales and profits to improve and other production
financing costs. However, demand for industrial space pressures to ease. A contact in Minnesota noted that
remained high, and low vacancy rates were spurring a "supplier notifications of price increases slowed down
host of new construction projects, including an increase significantly.” ■
in speculative developments, according to a source.
Residential real estate activity fell. Closed sales of single For more information about District economic conditions visit:
minneapolisfed.org/region-and-community
I-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
J-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
J-2
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
K-1
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
has allowed firms to work through backlogs and reduce after flattening out earlier this year amid higher mortgage
delivery times. Petrochemical companies reported strong rates. Consumer, commercial, and industrial loan vol-
business despite some logistics challenges, and refiner- umes largely held steady, while commercial real estate
ies were running at near full utilization with very healthy loan volumes continued to increase. Loan nonperfor-
margins. Overall manufacturing outlooks were mixed, mance increased for consumer loans but continued to
with some contacts losing confidence amid weakening decrease for other loan types, leading to little change in
demand. nonperforming loans overall. Looking six months ahead,
contacts continue to expect that loan demand and gen-
Retail Sales eral business activity will decrease, and loan delinquen-
Retail sales were flat to down over the past six weeks, cy will increase, though outlooks were somewhat less
with some contacts citing pushback from customers on pessimistic than six weeks ago.
higher pricing. Broad improvement in supply chain dis-
ruptions was noted, and inventories have started to Energy
rebuild. An auto dealer expects a slow increase in new Oil and gas activity increased, with the Eleventh District
vehicle availability over the next year, which will put rig count ticking up and contacts noting strong demand
downward pressure on prices. Overall outlooks were for for oilfield services. Labor and supply chain challenges
increased sales six months from now, though expecta- continued to restrain the pace of increases in drilling and
tions for general business activity were less optimistic. well completions. Lead times for new oilfield equipment
have extended further. Outlooks were quite strong, as
Nonfinancial Services firms seem confident that prices will remain high enough
The service sector continued to expand moderately to support continued growth in oil and gas activity.
during the reporting period. Revenue growth was mostly
broad-based, with continued solid increases seen in the Agriculture
transportation sector. Airlines reported elevated demand Overall drought conditions improved slightly over the
despite high ticket prices and said leisure travel has past six weeks, as some areas received significant rain-
mostly recovered to prepandemic levels while business fall in late August. Many row crops were experiencing
travel has lagged behind. Cargo volumes through Texas high abandonment and low yields resulting in significant-
seaports experienced record-breaking growth. Staffing ly lowered production this year, particularly for cotton.
firms continued to report very strong demand, including High input costs and low production will financially strain
for permanent placements for professionals. Service- many producers. Severe drought and higher feed costs
sector outlooks were fairly neutral amid increased uncer- have prompted significant culling of cattle herds.
tainty about future business conditions.
Community Perspectives
Construction and Real Estate Nonprofits reported increased demand for services
Housing market activity remained weak, particularly at among the communities they serve over the past six
the entry level. Sales were off notably in July but im- weeks. Inquiries regarding rent and food assistance
proved in August partly due to a dip in mortgage rates. picked up, and contacts noted high inflation was strain-
Home prices were flat to down, and incentives were ing household budgets. Housing costs have become a
becoming more widespread. Outlooks were uncertain, primary concern for low-income residents, driven by an
with contacts expecting further weakness ahead. Apart- insufficient stock of affordable housing, rapid rent hikes,
ment leasing was solid and in line with pre-COVID lev- and the winding down of state and federal assistance
els, though momentum has slowed from its 2021 highs. programs. Evictions have increased, and a rise in first-
Occupancy was flat to down and rent growth remained time homelessness has been seen. Community colleges
elevated but was declining from its earlier feverish pace. reported enrollment increases, though matriculation
Demand for office space was mixed and construction among female students has not rebounded as fast as
subdued, while industrial leasing and construction re- among males. ■
mained high.
Financial Services
Loan demand continued to increase but at a markedly
slower pace than what has been seen over the last 18
months. Total loan volume growth also declined, with
mixed movements by lending type. Residential real For more information about District economic conditions visit:
estate loan volumes decreased over the past six weeks www.dallasfed.org/research/texas
K-2
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
The Beige Book ■ August 2022
L-1
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
for support due to the tight availability of licensed practi- prioritize water usage. Farmers throughout the District
tioners. Some contacts also noted that increased safety reported strong international demand for both fresh and
concerns in downtown areas have led some businesses processed foods. Shipping bottlenecks eased slightly in
to relocate. recent weeks, but overall supply chain disruptions per-
sisted. Utilities reported continued challenges meeting
Retail Trade and Services demand as labor and materials shortages delayed
Retail sales were stable during the reporting period. maintenance and expansion projects. Input costs, de-
Demand for retail goods remained strong but elevated spite some relief in fuel prices, remained elevated.
prices and economic uncertainty shifted consumer
spending away from discretionary goods and toward Real Estate and Construction
food and energy. Contacts noted that sales growth for Residential real estate activity eased further over the
apparel and durable goods such as motor vehicles, reporting period. High mortgage rates and overall eco-
electronics, and appliances softened noticeably. Alt- nomic uncertainty cooled demand for existing and new
hough labor challenges and supply disruptions impacting single-family homes. Conversely, demand for multifamily
the retail sector eased slightly, these pressures re- housing units remained strong and rental rates grew in
mained as major headwinds to productivity. many regions. A Northern California banker reported a
recent increase in financing requests for multifamily
Activity in the consumer and business services sectors
construction projects. Despite cooling demand, housing
strengthened. Demand for consumer services, such as
prices remained elevated and inventories strained, by
those related to leisure and hospitality, was strong, and
historical standards. Homebuilders’ confidence declined
demand for live performances and attractions was ro-
further as materials shortages continued to delay exist-
bust. While business and group travel activity remained
ing projects.
weak, demand for leisure travel continued to grow. A Las
Vegas contact reported record-breaking tourist spending Activity in the commercial real estate market was mixed.
in the city in recent months. Demand for health-care, Demand for industrial and warehouse space remained
wellness, and legal services remained at or near capaci- robust, while demand for office and retail space weak-
ty. ened in most of the District. One contact in Los Angeles
expected office vacancies to rise when leases are rene-
Manufacturing gotiated as businesses continued to struggle to return
Manufacturing production grew moderately during the workers to the office. Contacts noted that commercial
reporting period. Sales and new orders were strong real estate permits and construction slowed down in
across many industries, and capacity utilization improved some areas due to cooling activity.
on balance. Demand for capital equipment was notably
strong, as firms in the food, beverage, chemical, person- Financial Institutions
al care, and pharmaceutical industries sought to boost Lending activity was steady over the reporting period.
productivity. Despite some reported improvement, supply Business lending grew, especially for commercial and
bottlenecks persisted, and input costs remained elevat- industrial loans, and many contacts reported solid loan
ed. Several manufacturers reported accumulating vast pipelines. While demand for credit cards and home
inventories to meet demand amid materials shortages. equity loans remained elevated, mortgage originations
Contacts expected supply disruptions and cost pres- and refinancing activity dipped further as higher interest
sures to ease in the coming months, although uncertain- rates and limited inventories dampened housing activity.
ty related to the war in Ukraine and pandemic develop- Many contacts mentioned a notable increase in competi-
ments in China remained high. tion for loans and continued ample liquidity. Credit quali-
ty remained high, but contacts expected some deteriora-
Agriculture and Resource-Related Industries tion going forward on account of increasing interest rates
Conditions in the agriculture and resource-related sec- and moderating deposits. Financiers in the private equity
tors were mixed. Drought conditions in many areas and venture capital space reported lower valuations as
continued to impact the growing season, with some financial conditions tightened. ■
producers letting portions of their farms go fallow to
L-2