Economic growth was modest or moderate in much of the United States through mid-April, the U.S. Federal Reserve said today, while consumer inflation remained under wraps.

“Most Federal Reserve districts noted only modest or moderate expansions in economic activity since the previous report,” the Fed said in its latest beige book report. It added that two districts — New York and Minneapolis — reported “steady and firm growth, respectively,” while Dallas saw it as “moderately strong.”

That reference to modest or moderate growth was similar to the Fed’s previous assessment in the March 7 beige book report, though today’s beige book added the qualifier “only”.

Meanwhile, consumer prices “remained generally stable, with some districts experiencing only modest price increases.”

The beige book is a summary of economic activity prepared for use at the central bank’s Federal Open Market Committee meetings, the next of which is scheduled for May 9. It adds anecdotes and other regional information to national economic indicators that help determine monetary policy.

The Fed is widely expected to hold interest rates steady at 5.25% for a seventh-straight meeting next month.

In today’s beige book, the central bank said “reports of weakening residential mortgage activity continued to offset reports of increases in commercial and industrial lending.” Manufacturing, meanwhile, “remained slow overall,” according to the report, though that was offset by activity in services which “increased in most areas throughout the districts.”

Most Fed district banks reported “generally positive” retail sales and “continuing tight labor market conditions, especially for skilled occupations.” Overall wage increases, however, were “only modest,” according to several Fed district banks.