📊 Economic Indicators |
Federal Reserve |
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The Federal Reserve announced that it is lowering the main interest rate it controls by a small amount, from between 4.25% and 4.5% down to between 4% and 4.25%. This means borrowing money will be a little cheaper for banks, businesses, and people. The Fed made this change because the economy is growing more slowly, job growth has slowed, and inflation (how much prices go up) is still higher than the Fed wants. By lowering rates, the Fed hopes to help keep more people working and bring prices back down to a healthy level of about 2% inflation. This matters to everyday people because it can affect how much it costs to get loans, buy homes, or use credit, and it shows the Fed is trying to support jobs and keep prices steady. Read full document →
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The Federal Reserve announced new economic forecasts after their meeting on September 16-17, 2025. They decided to keep the main interest rate, which affects how much it costs to borrow money, steady at 5.25% to 5.50%. The Fed expects inflation, or the rise in prices, to slow down to about 2.4% next year, which is close to their goal of 2%. They also predict the economy will grow moderately, and unemployment will stay low at around 3.8%. This matters because stable interest rates help people with loans and credit cards, lower inflation means prices won’t rise too fast, and steady jobs mean more people can work and earn money. Overall, the Fed’s choices aim to keep the economy balanced so families can plan and spend with more confidence. Read full document →
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Bureau of Labor Statistics |
- In July 2025, the number of job openings changed a little overall in the U.S., but some states saw bigger shifts: New York lost 104,000 openings, Florida lost 76,000, Tennessee lost 25,000, while California gained 80,000. Hiring rates stayed mostly steady, except Michigan’s rate went up by 0.6 percentage points, and Georgia, Michigan, and Colorado added 32,000, 30,000, and 19,000 hires respectively. People leaving jobs (called separations) stayed about the same nationally, but Ohio and Mississippi saw fewer people leaving, while Delaware and Idaho saw more. The number of people quitting jobs dropped in Ohio by 55,000 and Michigan by 21,000 but rose in Texas by 55,000 and North Carolina by 27,000. Layoffs mostly stayed steady, except Delaware had a small increase. These small changes show that the job market is mostly steady but varies by state, which matters because it affects how easy it is for people to find or leave jobs and can influence wages and the economy where they live. Read full document →
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Pew Research |
- This study asked over 5,000 adults in the U.S. how they feel about artificial intelligence (AI) and its effects on people and society. Most people (53%) think AI will make it harder for people to be creative, and half (50%) believe AI will hurt people’s ability to form close relationships. Only a small number think AI will help with these skills. However, some (29%) say AI might help people solve problems better. Younger adults under 30 are more aware of AI and more likely to say AI will harm creativity and relationships than older adults. More than half of all adults (57%) worry a lot about the risks of AI, especially that it could weaken human skills and connections. Many want more control over how AI is used, and most think it’s very important to know if something was made by AI or a person. These findings matter because they show many Americans are concerned that AI could change important parts of how people think and connect with each other, which could affect society in big ways. Read full document →
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