Month: October 2026

Unemployment Rate vs. Unemployment Insurance Claims: What’s the Difference?

| Economy |

The unemployment rate and unemployment insurance claims are both key labor market indicators, but they measure different things. The unemployment rate is a broad survey-based estimate of all jobless people actively seeking work, while UI claims are administrative counts of people applying for or receiving unemployment benefits. In 2026, low UI claims have masked a more challenging experience for the long-term unemployed, as fewer people enter the rolls but those who do stay longer and increasingly exhaust benefits.

Read More →

State Share of U.S. GDP: How Much Each State Contributes to National Output

| GDP & Output |

California alone accounts for about 14.5% of U.S. GDP, and the four largest state economies—California, Texas, New York, and Florida—together generate more than 37% of national output. Most states contribute between 1% and 2% of GDP, while many smaller states contribute less than 0.5%. The U.S. economy now exceeds $30 trillion in nominal terms, with state-level growth varying widely from quarter to quarter.

Read More →

Job Openings and Quits by State: 2025 JOLTS Rankings and Trends

| Economy |

The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) shows 7.4 million job openings nationally in June 2026, with 5.3 million hires and 3.2 million quits. State-level data through December 2025 and the new annual 2025 estimates reveal significant variation in labor demand and worker mobility across states. California leads the state table by job openings, while private education and health services leads the national industry table.

Read More →

U.S. GDP by Quarter: Latest Quarterly Growth Rates and Annualized Data (Q2 2026)

| Economy |

U.S. real gross domestic product increased at an annual rate of 1.5 percent in the second quarter of 2026, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That follows a 2.1 percent gain in Q1 2026 and marks a deceleration from the 4.4 percent pace in Q3 2025. The latest estimate shows consumer spending, exports, and investment contributing to growth, while government spending declined and imports rose.

Read More →

U.S. Counties Losing Population: 2025 Census Estimates and Rural Decline Trends

| Population Size & Growth |

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Vintage 2025 estimates show population growth slowed in a majority of the nation’s 3,143 counties and the District of Columbia between July 2024 and July 2025. Nearly 8 in 10 counties that grew the prior year saw growth slow or reverse, and 310 of 387 metro areas decelerated. Rural America grew for a fifth straight year only because 168,000 net in-migrants offset natural decrease, while about half of rural counties lost population.

Read More →

Largest U.S. Metropolitan Economies by GDP: 2025 Rankings

| City & Metro Rankings |

In 2025, the New York-Newark-Jersey City metro area led the United States with an estimated GDP of $2.189 trillion, followed by Los Angeles ($1.078 trillion) and Chicago ($760 billion). The top 10 metro areas generate about 42.8% of U.S. GDP while holding only 28.4% of the population. This article ranks the largest U.S. metropolitan economies and explains the data, methodology, and implications.

Read More →

Real Per Capita Personal Income by State: 2024 Rankings Adjusted for Cost of Living

| Income & Cost of Living |

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released 2024 state-level real per capita personal income data on February 19, 2026, showing wide variation after adjusting for cost of living. The District of Columbia led at $81,872, while several states clustered near $52,000. Nationally, real personal income rose 2.9 percent, but state growth ranged from a 5.5 percent gain in California to a 2.2 percent decline in North Dakota.

Read More →