Economic Dashboard

Key indicators that tell you how the U.S. economy is actually doing right now.

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Inflation (CPI)

Year-over-year change in consumer prices. Fed target is 2%.

Fed Funds Rate

Interest rate the Fed charges banks. Controls borrowing costs economy-wide.

Unemployment

Official U-3 rate. Doesn't count discouraged or underemployed workers.

GDP Growth

Annualized quarterly growth rate. Two negative quarters = recession.

Markets

S&P 500

500 largest U.S. companies

10-Year Treasury Yield

Benchmark for mortgage rates

Bitcoin

Largest cryptocurrency by market cap

What this means for students

Borrowing costs

With the Fed funds rate at --, student loans, car loans, and mortgages are all more expensive than they were in 2020-2021. If you're taking on debt, factor in higher interest costs than your parents faced.

BorrowingExpensive

Job market

Unemployment at -- means most people who want jobs have them. But the broader U-6 measure runs about 3 points higher — meaning underemployment is still a real issue for recent grads.

Job marketSolid

Purchasing power

With inflation at --, prices are still rising — just more slowly than 2022. If your income doesn't grow faster than inflation, you're effectively getting a pay cut every year.

Inflation pressureModerate

Economy overall

GDP growing at -- is positive but not booming. The economy is expanding but slowly. This is the "soft landing" scenario — inflation came down without triggering a full recession.

Economic growthSlow & stable

Quick Reference

Recession: Two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth

Inflation target: Fed aims for 2% annually

Full employment: Economists consider ~4% unemployment "full"

Yield curve: When 2yr yield > 10yr yield, recession often follows

Bear market: S&P 500 down 20%+ from recent high

FICA: Social Security + Medicare = 7.65% of your paycheck