🏛️ Federal Reserve Document Scraper

1. Dataset description

This repository contains code for downloading and organizing Federal Reserve documents from the official Federal Reserve Board website.

These files were used as part of my NLP project. While collecting data, my data collection code is inspired by centralbank_analysis by yukit-k. However, that implementation had some limitations:

❌ Incomplete handling of newer HTML structures on the Fed website

❌ No support for Greenbook/Tealbook files

❌ File naming and folder structure not ideal for downstream processing

❌ No handling of failed downloads or noisy formatting

So I made som key Improvements:

✅ Supports both Greenbook and Minutes. You can choose which type to download

✅ Automatic directory organization. Files are saved using a consistent format as:

FOMC_[document type]_YYYY-MM-DD

✅ Duplicate check & resume support: Prevents redundant downloads and handles broken links gracefully

✅ Modular and extensible codebase Easy to extend for other Fed documents (e.g., SEP, transcripts)

2. Data detail

This repository contains modules for downloading and processing various official publications of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). These documents, produced and released by the Federal Reserve, provide detailed insight into U.S. monetary policy formation, communication, and economic analysis over time.

Below is a reference guide to the major FOMC document types represented in this repository.

📅 FomcAgenda.py – Meeting Agendas

Agendas are created by the FOMC Secretariat in coordination with the Chair and outline the topics of discussion for each meeting, including standard items (e.g., open market operations, economic outlook) and special topics. Participants receive the agenda about one week in advance.

📄 FomcStatement.py – Policy Statements

FOMC statements are brief summaries of monetary policy decisions released immediately after each meeting. These statements have become a key communication tool since 1994 and are now issued after every scheduled meeting, even if policy remains unchanged.

📝 FomcMinutes.py – Meeting Minutes

Minutes provide a concise, narrative summary of policy discussions and rationales. Since 2004, they are released three weeks after each meeting. The minutes include details on voting outcomes and dissenting views, and are eventually included in the Fed’s Annual Report.

🧾 FomcPresConfScript.py – Press Conference Transcripts

Beginning in 2011, the Fed Chair has held press conferences following certain FOMC meetings. These transcripts document the Chair’s remarks and responses to journalists, offering additional context and forward guidance. Released shortly after the meeting.

🗣️ FomcMeetingScript.py – Meeting Transcripts

Verbatim transcripts of FOMC meetings, produced from audio recordings and lightly edited for readability. They are released with a 5-year delay. For meetings prior to 1994, transcripts were reconstructed from raw records and may contain transcription uncertainties.

📚 FomcGreenbook.py – Greenbook (1964–2010)

The Greenbook, officially titled Current Economic and Financial Conditions, was prepared by Board staff and delivered to FOMC members six days before each meeting. It provided forecasts, data analyses, and economic outlooks.

Part 1: Summary and forecast

Part 2: Detailed breakdowns

Supplement: Late-breaking updates

📘 FomcBlueBook.py – Bluebook (1965–2010)

The Bluebook, titled Monetary Policy Alternatives, outlined potential policy options and risks. It was distributed shortly after the Greenbook and informed FOMC decisions. The document evolved from earlier versions like Money Market and Reserve Relationships.

🧠 FomcTealbook.py – Tealbook (2010–Present)

The Tealbook replaced both the Greenbook and Bluebook in June 2010. It is split into two parts:

Tealbook A: Current Situation and Outlook — Forecasts and financial developments

Tealbook B: Strategies and Alternatives — Policy options and simulations

Both are released with a 5-year lag.

📙 FomcBeigeBook.py – Beige Book

The Beige Book, published eight times a year, summarizes anecdotal economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. Based on business surveys, interviews, and internal reports, it is released ~two weeks before each meeting.

🧾 FomcTestimony.py – Testimony before Congress

This includes the Chair’s Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to Congress and other testimonies. These communications explain the Fed’s outlook and policies directly to lawmakers and the public.

📚 References

Federal Reserve – FOMC Archive

Wikipedia – Federal Open Market Committee

The interest rate set by the Federal Reserve is a crucial tool for promoting economic conditions that meet the mandate established by the United States Congress, which includes high employment, low and stable inflation, sustainable economic growth, and the moderation of long-term interest rates. The interest rates determined by the Fed directly influence the cost of credit, making financing either more accessible or more restrictive. When interest rates are low, there is a greater incentive for consumers to purchase homes through mortgages, finance automobiles, or undertake home renovations. Additionally, businesses are encouraged to invest in expanding their operations, whether by purchasing new equipment, modernizing facilities, or hiring more workers. Conversely, higher interest rates tend to curb such activity, discouraging borrowing and slowing economic expansion.

The dataset analyzed contains information on the economic conditions in the United States on a monthly basis since 1954, including the federal funds rate, which represents the percentage at which financial institutions trade reserves held at the Federal Reserve with each other in the interbank market overnight. This rate is determined by the market but is directly influenced by the Federal Reserve through open market operations to reach the established target. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets eight times a year to determine the federal funds rate target, which has been defined within a range with upper and lower limits since December 2008.

Furthermore, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is calculated based on the seasonally adjusted quarterly rate of change in the economy, using chained 2009 dollars as a reference. The unemployment rate represents the seasonally adjusted percentage of the labor force that is unemployed. Meanwhile, the inflation rate is determined by the monthly change in the Consumer Price Index, excluding food and energy prices for a more stable analysis of core inflation.

The interest rate data was sourced from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis' economic data portal, while GDP information was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, and unemployment and inflation data were made available by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The analysis of this data helps to understand how economic growth, the unemployment rate, and inflation influence the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy decisions. Additionally, it allows for a study of the evolution of interest rate policies over time and raises the question of how predictable the Fed’s future decisions may be. Based on observed trends, it is possible to speculate whether the target range set in March 2017 will be maintained, lowered, or increased, considering the prevailing economic context and the challenges faced in conducting U.S. monetary policy.

The inflation rate in the United States declined significantly between June 2022 and September 2025, despite rising inflationary pressures towards the end of 2024. The peak inflation rate was recorded in June 2022, at *** percent. In August 2023, the Federal Reserve's interest rate hit its highest level during the observed period, at **** percent, and remained unchanged until September 2024, when the Federal Reserve implemented its first rate cut since September 2021. By September 2025, the rate dropped to **** percent, signaling a shift in monetary policy. What is the Federal Reserve interest rate? The Federal Reserve interest rate, or the federal funds rate, is the rate at which banks and credit unions lend to and borrow from each other. It is one of the Federal Reserve's key tools for maintaining strong employment rates, stable prices, and reasonable interest rates. The rate is determined by the Federal Reserve and adjusted eight times a year, though it can be changed through emergency meetings during times of crisis. The Fed doesn't directly control the interest rate but sets a target rate. It then uses open market operations to influence rates toward this target. Ways of measuring inflation Inflation is typically measured using several methods, with the most common being the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI tracks the price of a fixed basket of goods and services over time, providing a measure of the price changes consumers face. At the end of 2023, the CPI in the United States was ****** percent, up from ****** a year earlier. A more business-focused measure is the producer price index (PPI), which represents the costs of firms.