In Chicago, concerns about labor shortages have become more pronounced. Shortages of qualified truck drivers have slowed shipping growth in Atlanta, St. Louis, and Chicago. In Minneapolis and New York, labor shortages have forced manufacturing plants to move to other regions. Tight labor markets in St. Louis are affecting many firms' plans for expansion or relocation, but wage pressures remain subdued. Labor shortages are adversely affecting builders in the Atlanta and Dallas Districts.
Most prices remain stable.
Building materials prices, especially for sheetrock, are increasing in the Atlanta, Kansas City, Cleveland, Minneapolis, and Boston regions. Contracted services costs have increased in New York. Low commodity prices in Minneapolis persist in depressing farm income and are curbing metal mining.