Economy today
The US economy today
Four numbers that describe the US economy right now, taken directly from official sources and updated automatically.
Inflation rate (CPI, 12 months)
3.7%
September 2026. Core: 2.6%. BLS.
Unemployment rate
4.2%
September 2026, seasonally adjusted. BLS.
Federal funds target range
3.75% to 4.00%
Effective rate 3.88% on October 23, 2026. New York Fed.
10-year Treasury yield
5.00%
October 26, 2026. 2-year: 4.68%. US Treasury.
How the four fit together
The Federal Reserve raises or lowers the federal funds rate mainly to keep inflation near its 2 percent goal while keeping unemployment low. Higher rates cool spending and hiring, which tends to slow inflation and raise unemployment; lower rates do the opposite. Treasury yields show what investors expect those rates, growth and inflation to be in the years ahead.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Effective Federal Funds Rate
- US Department of the Treasury, Daily Treasury Par Yield Curve Rates
Questions
How is the US economy doing right now?
By the latest official figures: inflation was 3.7% in September 2026 (core 2.6%), unemployment was 4.2% in September 2026, the Federal Reserve's target range for the federal funds rate is 3.75% to 4.00%, and the 10-year Treasury yield was 5.00% on October 26, 2026.
Where do these numbers come from?
Straight from the agencies that publish them: inflation and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the federal funds rate from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and Treasury yields from the US Treasury. The page updates automatically twice a day.