Beige Book Says Economy Improving; Some Areas Still Weak

In its regular report on the state of the U.S. economy, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday that it sees "signs of improvement" in nearly all regions of the United States, although some areas of the country report weakness.

Of the Fed's 12 districts, only Boston failed to show signs of improvement or real increases in economic activity since the last survey.

The Fed said each of the districts reported stable or improved manufacturing conditions, which is a key element for the trucking industry because increases in manufacturing often lead to increases in freight shipments.

Production of auto parts, steel and building materials all contributed to the improved manufacturing results.

"Plants in most districts reported a stabilization of inventories following a lengthy period of decline, and some firms in the Chicago and San Francisco districts were cautiously increasing stock levels," the Fed reported.

Commonly called the Beige Book, the report is compiled from information in each of the Federal Reserve’s districts and is published eight times per year. The current edition of the report was published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Mo. and contains information collected before April 16.

The Fed said that labor markets across the country stayed "slack" with demand firming in some districts, but remaining weak in others.

The Fed described the residential real estate market as "robust."

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