Economy articles
These reports cover the financial forces that affect daily American life. Discover how exports and imports impact US taxes, debt, and more.
How active has the 2025 hurricane season been?
Seven tropical storms and four hurricanes so far in 2025. In the Atlantic Ocean, tropical storms and hurricanes are the most dangerous designations of storms that are collectively known as tropical cyclones. The average number of such storms per year for the prior decade (2015 to 2024) was 18. That’s the highest 10-year average on record, based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data dating back to 1851.
Updates weeklyWhat are the fastest-growing professions in America?
Renewable energy production will drive much American job growth over the next decade: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), wind turbine service technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, and nurse practitioner roles are expected to have the highest rate of growth by 2034. Wind energy is an ever-larger component of US renewable energy production, and the number of wind turbine service technician jobs is projected to increase more than any other occupation, 50% by 2034. Turbine techs earned a median salary of $62,580 in 2024.
Oct 17, 2025What is the unemployment rate in the US right now?
About 4.3% in August 2025. That's a 0.1 percentage point increase from a year before. The unemployment rate is the percentage of people in the labor force who are actively looking for work but not currently employed. It's a common way to measure the health of the job market and economy.
Updates monthlyWhat are the biggest drivers of inflation in the past year?
From August 2024 to August 2025, mostly housing. During that time frame, housing price increases accounted for three-fifths of the overall inflation rate. The inflation rate is calculated using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the price changes of a consistent basket of goods and services over time. As of August 2025, overall prices increased 2.9% over the previous year. Each item in this basket is given a weight that reflects how much the average urban household spends on it. Items with higher weights, like shelter, tend to have a larger impact on the overall inflation rate than other categories. By examining the price changes across different categories, we can better understand the factors contributing to the current inflation rate.
Updates monthlyWhat is the income of a US household?
About $81,600 in median income in 2024. Household income is the total money received in a year — wages, pensions, investments, public assistance, and more — by everyone in a household over 15.
Updates annuallyWhat is the average wage in the US?
About $1.25K per week in August 2025, 0.5% higher than a year before. The average weekly wage, the typical earnings that employees bring home for one week of work, is a valuable indicator to assess economic conditions, labor market health, and wage trends.
Updates monthlyAre wages keeping up with inflation?
Yes. From July 2024 to July 2025, wages grew 1.5 percentage points faster than inflation. Nominal wages — the literal dollars earned regardless of cost of living — increased by 4.2% while inflation stood at 2.7%. When wage growth outpaces inflation, it indicates that workers are experiencing an increase in purchasing power from the previous year.
Updates monthlyHow much debt does the average person in the US have?
Around $63,000 as of the second quarter of 2025. Compared to the previous quarter (January through March 2025), the average adult owed $20 less after adjusting for inflation, reflecting slight shifts in household borrowing patterns. This debt, often referred to as “household debt,” represents the total amount owed by individuals for obligations such as mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and auto loans.
Updates quarterlyWhat is the federal poverty level?
The federal poverty guidelines — also known as the federal poverty level (FPL) — are used by federal agencies to determine eligibility for programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These guidelines are issued annually by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and are based on the official poverty thresholds calculated by the Census Bureau. They set the income limits for many need-based programs, helping determine who qualifies for assistance. While the thresholds are more detailed and used for statistical measurement of poverty, the FPL is a simplified version designed for administrative purposes. The guidelines are adjusted for inflation each year and vary by household size.
Updates annuallyHow many energy jobs are there in the US?
In 2024, 8.5 million people had energy-related jobs, roughly 5.4% of all jobs worked that year. For scale, that’s nearly the populations of Houston, Phoenix, Philadelphia, San Antonio and San Diego combined. Energy jobs include a spectrum of roles such as engineers and drill operators to architects and auto mechanics. They work across many industries including electric power generation, transmission, distribution, storage, fuels, energy efficiency, and motor vehicles. The sector lost nearly 10% of total jobs in 2020’s pandemic-driven economic downturn. As of 2024, the energy sector has surpassed the pre-pandemic peak (in 2019) by nearly 200,000 jobs. Which states have the most energy jobs?Texas leads the nation in energy jobs, employing over 990,000 individuals in the energy sector. That’s roughly eight out of every 100 workers statewide. Oil and natural gas production alone employed more than 289,000 people.
Oct 9, 2025What happens during a government shutdown furlough?
When Congress doesn’t pass a law to fund the government, many federal operations pause until new funding is approved. During these periods, known as government shutdowns, some federal employees are placed on temporary unpaid leave, called furloughs, while others continue working in essential roles.
Oct 8, 2025US trading partners, imports and exports, and how tariffs factor in
In 2024, the US imported $4.1 trillion and exported $3.2 trillion in goods and services. Higher tariffs can raise prices and the impact on US jobs is a complex issue. Join Steve as he talks through US trade, tariffs and their impact, US trade partners, trade agreements, and more.
How much US government debt is owned by other countries?
About 25.2%, as of June 2025, or $9.13 trillion. When the federal government spends more money than it collects in revenue, it sells US Treasury securities to bring in cash and pay for the difference. People, governments, corporations, and investment funds like retirement accounts — both US and international — can purchase these.
Updates quarterlyHow long do people wait for subsidized housing in the United States?
Two years and three months, on average, in 2024. That’s an 8% increase since 2023, when recipients spent two years and one month on waiting lists before moving in to subsidized housing.
Updates annuallyHow much wealth does the American middle class have?
Around $12.9 trillion, or around 8% of all household wealth in the US in Q1 2025. Wealth, also referred to as net worth, is the total value of what people own minus debt like credit card balances and mortgages. If this wealth was divided equally among all middle-class households, each would have roughly $481,000 in wealth.
Updates quarterlyWhat types of work visas and green cards does the US issue?
In FY 2024, 95.2% of work-related arrivals came on temporary visas, while 4.8% received green cards for work. People immigrating to the US for work have two visa options: temporary visas or employer-sponsored green cards that offer permanent residence. The government admits immigrants for multiple reasons: to reunite families, provide safety for refugees, and expand labor pools for seasonal work, among others.In FY 2024, most authorized immigrants — 40% — were admitted on work-related visas. Qualifying for either a temporary work visa or a green card depends on a range of factors, including offers of employment and measures of personal and professional achievement.
Oct 2, 2025What is the labor force participation rate in the US?
It was 62.3% in August 2025. The labor force participation rate measures the percent of people ages 16 and older engaged in the labor market, including those who are working or who are unemployed but actively looking for a job.
Updates monthlyWhere does America’s coffee come from?
The United States drinks more coffee than any single country in the world. But very little of that coffee comes from beans grown in the US — aside from a small fraction grown in Hawaii, all of America’s coffee comes imported from countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Switzerland. How much coffee do Americans drink?Americans consume more than one cup of coffee per person daily. That’s equivalent to about 169.1 billion six-ounce cups of coffee, or 463 million per day.
Sep 30, 2025"What is the gender pay gap in the <span id='page-selector'>US</span>?
Women made about 82 cents for every dollar men made as of the second quarter of 2025. This means that men with full-time jobs typically make 22% more than women in full-time jobs. This ratio compares the median weekly pay of full-time workers—people who usually work 35 hours or more each week.
Updates quarterlyHow has inflation affected your dollar?
Inflation, simply put, is the rise in prices over time. As a result, each dollar buys less than it did before. Use this inflation calculator to track the value of the dollar. See how $1 has changed in worth during your lifetime, or even as far back as 1913, when the data begins. Or reverse the numbers and track what the cost of an item today was worth in the past.
Updates monthly