Real GDP Growth by State: Fourth Quarter 2025
The Bureau of Economic Analysis released real GDP data for all 50 states, annualized for the fourth quarter of 2025. The mean annualized growth was 1.8 percent, with the median state, New Jersey, matching that figure. South Carolina posted the fastest growth at 3.1 percent, while North Dakota recorded the slowest at 0.3 percent. In the St. Louis Fed’s Eighth District, Indiana led at 2.5 percent and Kentucky lagged at 1 percent.
India’s Long Work Year
India’s workers logged an average of 2,605 hours in 2019, the highest among the countries covered by the FRED database. Bangladesh and Pakistan followed with more than 2,400 hours, while the United States recorded under 1,800 hours. The metric—average annual...
Newly Added Daily Data From NASDAQ
The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) platform now provides daily Nasdaq data across 9,705 series, including the Nasdaq Composite, Nasdaq‑100, and Nasdaq‑100 Technology Sector indexes normalized to a base of 100 in April 2020. Visual analysis shows the three indexes move...
US-India Trade
The Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) series show that U.S. exports and imports with India have risen steadily since the 1990s, yet they remain a modest slice of overall trade. As of January 2026, Indian-bound exports account for roughly 2.5%...
Electricity Prices Have Increased and Vary by Region : The Latest BLS Data and Recent Research
Residential electricity prices in the United States have surged, climbing 44.4% between April 2020 and January 2026, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The Northeast Census Region now pays the highest average rate at $0.265 per kilowatt‑hour, while the South remains...
The Health Care Job Market
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total non‑farm payrolls fell by 92,000 jobs in February, with health‑care employment shrinking by 28,000 jobs after a wave of worker strikes. Despite the dip, the health‑care sector has added an average of...
The Relationship Among Oil Prices, Food Costs, and Consumer Inflation
U.S. military actions in the Middle East have driven Brent crude sharply higher, reviving scrutiny of oil’s influence on broader price levels. Historical FRED data reveal that oil price movements have consistently co‑moved with the Global Food Price Index and...
Artificial Intelligence and Aggregate Productivity
Recent speeches by Federal Reserve officials highlight artificial intelligence as a key driver of future productivity growth. They differentiate labor productivity—real GDP per hour worked—from total factor productivity (TFP), both illustrated in a FRED series covering 1988‑2024. Economists contend AI...
Differences in Cost of Living Across the US : Regional Price Parities by State and Metro Area for 2024
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...
State and Metro Employment: Fourth Quarter 2025
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 Link Between Interest Rates and Exchange Rates : The Uncovered Interest Parity
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...
