◆ HOW MONEY WORKS
Data & Indicators
12 articles
FeaturedWhat Is the Unemployment Rate?
The percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively seeking work. Published monthly by the BLS.
Read more →Deep Dives
8 articles
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
↔ Also in Income & InequalityHow Income Is Distributed in the United States
The top fifth of U.S. households takes about half of all income; the bottom fifth gets roughly 3%. What Census data shows, and what it leaves out.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
↔ Also in Income & InequalityThe Gini Coefficient and the Lorenz Curve: Measuring Inequality in a Single Number
The Gini coefficient compresses a whole income distribution into one number between 0 and 1. Here's what it measures, how to compute it, and where it misleads.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
The Real Unemployment Rate: Why 4.3% Isn't the Whole Story
The headline jobs number says 4.3%. A broader official measure says 8.1%. Both are true. Here is who the famous number quietly leaves out.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
Headline vs. Core Inflation: Which Number Should You Watch?
Headline inflation hit 4.2% in May 2026; core sat at 2.9%. Here is why they split, and which one belongs on your radar.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
How to Read the Monthly Jobs Report Like You Know What You're Doing
The headline jobs number is the least useful part of the report. Here's how to read the four figures underneath it, using the May 2026 release.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
What Is Core Inflation?
Core inflation strips food and energy from the price index to reveal underlying pressure. Here is what the number shows, where it misleads, and why the Fed watches it more than the headline.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
What Is the Yield Curve?
The yield curve plots Treasury yields across maturities. When it inverts, short rates beat long rates, and every U.S. recession in the past 60 years followed.
◆ DATA & INDICATORS
What Is GDP?
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) measures everything a country produces in a quarter. Here is how the number works, what it misses, and why it moves your job and your rates.