Fed Listens
Fed Listens is an initiative through which policymakers engage with stakeholders to hear how monetary policy affects people’s daily lives. On Wednesday, April 23, the St. Louis Fed held a livestreamed Fed Listens event. View videos below to hear remarks from policymakers and valuable insights from our advisory councils about key opportunities and challenges shaping our economy.
Fed Listens 2025
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
8:30 a.m. | OPENING REMARKS
The morning session featured remarks from Alberto Musalem, president and CEO of the St. Louis Fed, and Christopher Waller, member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.
Fed Listens 2025: Opening Remarks transcript (PDF)
Noon-1:40 p.m. | PERSPECTIVES FROM ADVISORY COUNCILS
During the afternoon session, advisory council members shared insights about how the economy and monetary policy are affecting daily lives and livelihoods across our region. Topics focused on labor market conditions, inflation, and the communication and transmission of monetary policy.
- Agribusiness Industry Council
- Health Care Industry Council
- Real Estate Industry Council
- Transportation Industry Council
- Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council
- Community Development Advisory Council
Fed Listens: Perspectives from St. Louis Fed Advisory Councils transcript (PDF)
Thursday, February 10, 2022
The St. Louis Fed’s 2022 Fed Listens event, Perspectives on the Pandemic Recovery, was held Feb. 10 as part of our continuous outreach efforts. The virtual roundtable discussion hosted by President Jim Bullard and other leaders featured representatives of industries distinct from the St. Louis Fed’s advisory councils, allowing for broader input on conditions facing stakeholders in the Eighth Federal Reserve District.
Leaders from small businesses, public school districts, child care, labor unions and workforce development organizations shared their views on pandemic-related economic issues. The discussion covered four major areas:
- Labor market conditions
- Supply chain disruptions and pricing
- Industry outlooks
- Economic equity issues
Read about the 2022 event in this recap article: ‘Main Street’ Talks Long-Term Pandemic Cons—and Some Pros.
Thursday, September 4, 2019
On Sept. 4 of 2019, the St. Louis Fed event assembled members of the Bank’s advisory councils, representing a geographically and industry-diverse group of stakeholders from the states that are part of the Fed’s Eighth District:
- Agribusiness Industry Council
- Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council
- Community Development Advisory Council
- Health Care Industry Council
- Real Estate Industry Council
- Transportation Industry Council
After lunch and brief welcoming remarks by Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman and St. Louis Fed President Jim Bullard, each council met in a working session to discuss their views on several topics—including the economy, the job market, inflation, interest rates and Fed communications—as well as their specific industries. In a closing plenary, each council reported out on their discussions and took questions from Bowman and Bullard.
Read about the 2019 event in this report to the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors (PDF).