U.S. economy dashboard
Read the national snapshot with a separate source and period on every indicator.
What the numbers say together
Reading snapshot 2026-09-30-d6e32ee5. The periods appear with each comparison. These are measured changes, with different populations and intervals.
Prices and pay
In August 2026, CPI prices changed by 3.4% over twelve months, while average hourly earnings changed by 3.1%. Using the unrounded inputs, a website calculation gives -0.30% inflation-adjusted earnings growth: the earnings ratio divided by the price ratio. This concerns an average across covered jobs, rather than the raise received by a typical worker.
Calculation inputs: CES0500000003 (seasonally adjusted) and CUUR0000SA0 (not seasonally adjusted), using twelve-month changes. Each series retains its own basis.
Compare earnings and prices · Inspect the real-growth formula
Jobs and the labor force
In August 2026, payroll employment changed by 162 thousand jobs from the preceding month. The household survey reports 4.1% unemployment and 61.6% labor-force participation. Jobs, jobseekers and participation describe different populations; an unchanged unemployment rate alone does not explain hiring or movement out of the labor force.
Read the payroll change · Understand the two surveys
Output and consumer spending
In Q2 2026, real GDP changed at a 2.2% annualized quarterly pace. In August 2026, real consumer spending changed 2.6% over twelve months. Both adjust for prices, but their growth rates have different intervals. Compare matching periods before concluding which part of the economy grew faster.
Inspect the GDP estimate · Read price-adjusted spending
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