Economic activity was unchanged, on balance, since early July, but labor market conditions remained tight, according to the Beige Book report released Wednesday by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. One company in the Dallas district described the labor pool as more like a “labor puddle.”

“Among Texas business trying to hire, more than half said workers looking for more pay than offered was an impediment,” the Dallas district noted in the report. “Staffing agencies in particular described a large gap between what employers were willing to pay and the wages job hunters were expecting.”

Overall, employment rose at a modest to moderate pace in most of the 12 Federal Reserve districts, according to the report. Several employers reported giving midyear and off-cycle raises to offset higher living costs. Employers also reported that offering bonuses, flexible work arrangements and comprehensive benefits were necessary to attract and retain workers.

In the Boston district, staffing firms contacted for the report indicated no significant revenue changes in the second quarter from the previous quarter, with revenue growth held back by weakness in labor supply.

“Contacts characterized the labor market as extremely competitive and fast-paced, with candidates being placed in a matter of days,” according to the Boston district. “One contact noted an increase in pre-college-graduation recruitment activity for some entry-level jobs.”

Some staffing firms in the Boston district renewed efforts to reach new job candidates and/or to accelerate the hiring process by boosting their advertising activity and offering referral bonuses. Some staffing firm contacts expressed concerns about an impending economic contraction, signaled both by macroeconomic conditions and by recent layoffs at a large Boston-area employer — but one was hopeful for a mild slowdown that would normalize the labor market.

In the New York district, employment increased modestly despite ongoing worker shortages, according to the report. However, some businesses reported improvement labor availability and their have been scattered reports of layoffs.

“One upstate New York employment agency noted that demand for workers has abated a bit but remains solid, especially in technology-related fields,” according to the New York district. “A New York City agency reported that hiring has remained strong and workers remain hard to find.”

Meanwhile, firms in the Philadelphia district reported easing of labor supply challenges.

“Many contacts, including staffing firms, noted a slight easing of labor supply challenges in recent months, with more workers applying for open positions,” according to the Philadelphia district. “One contact stated that some workers have explained that they had quit jobs because of poor management, unkept promises or racist attitudes.”

The Richmond, Virginia, district reported labor remained tight while employment grew strongly.

“Firms continued to report off-cycle wage increases to attract and retain workers and planned to raise wages again on their typical annual cycle,” according to the Virginia district. “An increasing number of contacts mentioned concerns about a possible economic downturn, but this has not slowed down their hiring and many firms expected to increase their employment in the next six months.”