Labor Market
Nonfarm payrolls, unemployment rate, jobless claims, and wage growth. Track the employment data that shapes Fed policy and consumer spending.
The labor market is the backbone of the consumer economy. Rising jobless claims and a climbing unemployment rate are classic late-cycle signals that precede recessions and rate cuts. The Fed has a dual mandate — maximum employment and stable prices — so labor data directly influences the path of monetary policy.
Unemployment Rate (U3)
monthlyHeadline unemployment rate — percentage of the labor force without jobs.
Underemployment Rate (U6)
monthlyBroadest unemployment measure including discouraged and part-time workers.
Initial Jobless Claims
weeklyWeekly first-time unemployment insurance claims — the highest-frequency labor indicator.
Initial Claims 4-Week MA
weeklySmoothed jobless claims average — removes weekly volatility.
Continued Claims
weeklyOngoing unemployment insurance claims — measures difficulty of finding new work.
Nonfarm Payrolls
monthlyTotal nonfarm employment — the single most-watched monthly jobs number.
JOLTS Job Openings
monthlyJob openings from the JOLTS survey — measures labor demand.
JOLTS Quit Rate
monthlyVoluntary quit rate — high quits = worker confidence, low = fear.
Avg Weekly Hours (Private)
monthlyAverage weekly hours worked in the private sector — a leading employment indicator.
Avg Hourly Earnings (Private)
monthlyAverage hourly earnings for all private employees — wage growth tracker.
Labor Force Participation
monthlyLabor force participation rate — share of working-age population in the labor force.
Employment-Population Ratio
monthlyShare of working-age population that is employed — avoids LFPR distortions.
Other Categories
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Data sourced from FRED, CoinGecko, CBOE, CFTC, and EIA. Updated at varying frequencies. This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.