MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The US Federal Reserve System so-called Beige Book is issued eight times a year, with each of the Federal Reserve Banks collecting information on current economic conditions in their region through official reports and interviews with business contacts, economists and market experts.
The Federal Reserve then summarizes all the data and produces the overall report on the economy's state in twelve districts.
The previous Beige Book was published March 4, and indicated that economic activity was expanding across most regions and sectors from January to February.
As of February, consumer spending, tourism and manufacturing were on the rise, with banking conditions mostly positive. Employment levels and commercial real estate market conditions remained stable, while agricultural conditions worsened, according to the previous Beige Book.
The twelve Federal Reserve Districts include New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, among others.