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| - More US regions saw economic activity stall or slow in November as Covid-19 cases surged, and businesses were less upbeat about their prospects, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday. The US faces the world's largest coronavirus outbreak, and cases have spiked above the worst days of the spring, forcing authorities in many regions to reimpose restrictions on businesses. The Fed's "beige book" survey of economic conditions said four of 12 regions saw little or no growth, while four others saw activity begin to dip last month. Even in some of the regions reporting growth, activity remained below pre-pandemic levels, the central bank said in the report produced about every six weeks. While firms in most districts still have positive outlooks, "optimism has waned" amid "concerns over the recent pandemic wave, mandated restrictions (recent and prospective), and the looming expiration dates for unemployment benefits and for moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures," the report said. The Fed said while nearly all districts saw employment continue to rise "for most, the pace was slow, at best, and the recovery remained incomplete." With most schools still limiting in-person classes, the report notes that, "Providing for childcare and virtual schooling needs was widely cited as a significant and growing issue for the workforce, especially for women." The beige book report is prepared in advance of the Fed's monetary policy meetings, and the next one is scheduled for December 15-16. hs/cs
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