
The issues shaping America
Explore official economic indicators and background guides. These statistics are not a ranking of voters’ priorities or an election forecast.
Unemployment4.2%−0.2 pts vs. a year agoof the labor force · September 2026Inflation3.7%+0.7 pts vs. a year agoCPI, past 12 months · September 2026Jobs159.0 million+0.5 million vs. a year agononfarm payrolls · September 2026Real wages$370−1.6% vs. a year agomedian weekly pay, 1982-84 $ · September 2026Gas$4.48+34% vs. a year agoregular, per gallon · September 2026Eggs$2.27−35% vs. a year agoGrade A large, per dozen · September 2026Ground beef$6.79+7.4% vs. a year ago100% beef, per pound · September 2026Electricity19.6¢+4.3% vs. a year agoper kilowatt-hour · September 2026Mortgage rates7.18%+0.95 pts vs. a year ago30-year fixed · November 2026National debt$40.5 trillion+5.6% vs. a year agototal public debt · November 2026GDP growth2.2%−0.6 pts vs. a year agoreal growth per year · December 2025
LNS14000000: seasonally adjusted civilian unemployment. CUUR0000SA0: unadjusted CPI-U, all items, U.S. city average, 1982–84 = 100. Year-over-year inflation = (latest index / same month a year earlier − 1) × 100. Missing observations and annual averages are excluded.
BLS · Unemployment · seasonally adjustedBLS · CPI inflation · year over yearSources & update status →

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