Annual Report 2018

What was inspired by a single idea penned in a 1961 cover memo has grown into a public database of more than a half-million economic and socioeconomic time series. Meet FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data), the signature economic database of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Our 2018 annual report is all about FRED and its family of information services. Read the essays, watch the interviews and find out what FRED enthusiasts—among the 5.9 million users worldwide—have to say about the importance of data access to informed decision-making. The annual report also includes messages from our president and CEO, James Bullard, and from the chair of our board of directors, Kathleen Mazzarella. Bullard discusses the St. Louis Fed’s history as a leader in the dissemination of macroeconomic data. He notes that people have told him throughout his global travels as a monetary policymaker that the main way they know the St. Louis Fed is through FRED. Mazzarella highlights the Bank’s long-standing passion for innovation, as exhibited by FRED and the Bank’s 2018 Top Workplace award. Elsewhere in this report: Our Leaders, Our Advisers focuses on the Bank’s leadership and governance, listing current members of our boards of directors and advisory councils. Our People, Our Work offers a “by the numbers” snapshot of the St. Louis Fed’s work on behalf of the Eighth Federal Reserve District.