Energy-rich regions of the U.S. are seeing signs of slower growth due to the plunge in oil prices, though the national economy continued to expand in late 2014, the Federal Reserve said in its latest survey of regional economic conditions. The Fed found “modest” or “moderate” growth across most of its 12 districts in mid-November through late December, according to the “beige book” report released Wednesday. Payrolls “expanded moderately” across “a variety of sectors,” the report said, though pay remained stagnant for most workers. “Significant wage pressures were largely limited to workers with specialized technical skills,” it said. In areas where energy production has boomed in recent years, the sharp decline in oil prices since mid-2014 is generating worries about a slowdown. The Dallas district […]