On February 19, 2026, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2024 Regional Price Parities (RPPs) for all U.S. states and metro areas. The index, where 100 equals the national average, shows California at the highest cost of living (110.7) and Arkansas at the lowest (86.9). Illinois and Arizona sit exactly at the national average. The release also pairs RPPs with real per‑capita personal income, highlighting Wyoming and Connecticut as the top earners after cost adjustments.
FRED’s latest maps reveal nonfarm employment changes for Q4 2025. North Carolina led states with a 22,700‑job gain, while Virginia and Washington, DC each shed over 17,000 jobs. At the metro level, the New York‑Newark‑Jersey City area added 31,200 jobs, whereas the...
The post examines how the 10‑year US‑German bond yield spread correlates with the USD/EUR exchange rate, showing that higher US yields usually coincide with dollar appreciation. A notable exception occurred after April 2 2025, when a sharp US yield rise was followed...