Community conditions in the Ninth Federal Reserve District show a mixture of deterioration and improvement, according to the latest Ninth District Insight report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Ninth District Insight is a series of semiannual reports designed to provide a front-line perspective on the economic health of low- to moderate-income (LMI) communities. Each report is based on the findings of an online survey of organizations that play a critical role in community development and stabilization. The survey’s questions ask respondents to assess how their communities are faring in 14 key areas related to employment, housing, financial, and business conditions. The latest report, which reflects survey responses collected from 363 organizations in the fourth quarter of 2011, indicates that overall economic conditions in LMI communities in the Ninth District are deteriorating, but show less overall deterioration than they did six months earlier. The report also reveals some signs of improvement in pockets of the Ninth District, such as fewer bankruptcies and more business openings and employment opportunities. To read the Ninth District Insight: Fourth Quarter 2011 report, visit www.minneapolisfed.org/publications_papers/ci/index.cfm.
