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Economic Pulse
Live data
Live Economic Data · FRED · World Bank · Plain-English Context

The economy, explained in two minutes.

Economic Pulse turns public macroeconomic data into a clean, editorial dashboard — showing what inflation, unemployment, GDP, interest rates, wages, markets, and housing actually mean in real life.

Section 1

The Headline Strip

Four live economic indicators, each translated into plain English.

US Inflation
—% YoY

Data unavailable.

Unemployment Rate
—%

Data unavailable.

GDP Growth
—%

Data unavailable.

Federal Funds Rate
—%

Data unavailable.

What’s happening right now?

The latest economic picture is partially available. Some indicators could not be fetched, so read the dashboard as directional rather than complete.

Source layer: FRED for U.S. indicators, World Bank for country comparisons. Explanations are rule-based, not AI-generated.
Loading live economic data…
Section 3

The Comparison Engine

Compare countries across unemployment, inflation, GDP growth, and government debt using World Bank data.

Choose comparison history
World Bank data can be annual and delayed, so shorter ranges keep the chart readable.
Select two countries and an indicator to compare the latest available World Bank data.
Source: World Bank Open Data. Latest available values vary by country and indicator.
Section 4

Explainer Cards

A simple guide to what each indicator measures and why it matters.

Inflation (CPI)

What it measures

Inflation tracks how quickly prices rise across a basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index is one of the most widely watched U.S. inflation measures.

Why it matters

Inflation affects purchasing power. If prices rise faster than income, households can feel poorer even when nominal wages increase.

Published by

Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; available through FRED.

Unemployment

What it measures

The unemployment rate measures the share of the labor force actively looking for work but unable to find a job.

Why it matters

It is one of the clearest signals of labor-market health. Low unemployment supports household income, while rising unemployment can signal recession risk.

Published by

Published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics; available through FRED.

Federal Funds Rate

What it measures

The federal funds rate is the short-term interest rate targeted by the Federal Reserve.

Why it matters

It influences borrowing costs for mortgages, credit cards, business loans, and corporate debt.

Published by

Set by the Federal Reserve; available through FRED.

GDP Growth

What it measures

Gross Domestic Product measures the value of goods and services produced in the economy.

Why it matters

It is the broadest measure of economic activity. Strong growth supports jobs and business investment; weak growth can signal stress.

Published by

Published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis; available through FRED and World Bank.

Consumer Sentiment

What it measures

Consumer sentiment measures how optimistic or pessimistic households feel about the economy.

Why it matters

When households feel worse, they may delay purchases, which can slow consumer spending before a downturn is obvious in official data.

Published by

University of Michigan series available through FRED.

Housing Prices

What it measures

Housing price indexes track changes in home values across the U.S. market.

Why it matters

Housing affects household wealth and affordability. Rising prices help owners but can lock out new buyers.

Published by

Case-Shiller index available through FRED.

Section 5

So What? Calculators

Turn macro data into personal financial context.

Inflation Impact

$85,428

At 3.20% inflation, $100,000 in 5 years would feel like this amount in today’s dollars.

Mortgage Reality Check

$2,888 / month

Using a rough mortgage rate of Fed Funds + 2.5% = 7.83%. Total paid over 30 years: $1,039,606.

Real Wage Check

$96,174

A $75,000 salary in 2018 would need to be about this much in 2025 to maintain similar purchasing power.