Monthly Economic Indicators Dashboard
Common comparison window: Jan 2015 to May 2026 · 137 aligned monthly observations
Latest Fed Funds
3.72%
-0.61 pp vs 12m
Policy rate at May 2026
Latest Unemployment
4.30%
0.00 pp vs 12m
Labor market reading at May 2026
Latest CPI Level
333.98
4.17% YoY
Price index at May 2026
Shared Coverage
137 months
Jan 2015 → May 2026
All three cleaned series overlap in this window
Context and key signals
This dashboard compares the cleaned versions of the federal funds rate, unemployment rate, and CPI using the shared monthly period where all three indicators are available together.
Fed funds / unemployment correlation: -0.44
Peak unemployment: 14.80% in Apr 2020
Peak fed funds: 5.33% in Aug 2023
- Unemployment spiked most sharply in early 2020, reaching 14.80%, while CPI continued its longer upward path.
- Fed funds rose from near-zero levels in the late 2010s to a peak of 5.33%, then eased by the latest reading in May 2026.
- CPI reached a new high of 333.98 in May 2026, equivalent to a latest year-over-year change of 4.17%.
Recent annual averages
Yearly means from the cleaned monthly series across the common comparison window.
| Year | Fed Funds | Unemployment | CPI |
|---|
The table focuses on the latest six annual averages for a compact recent-period view.
Indicator levels over time
Monthly line comparison using FEDFUNDS_clean, UNRATE_clean, and CPIAUCSL_clean.
Standardized trend comparison
Z-scores align the three indicators on a common scale so relative swings can be compared directly.
Annual average indicators
Grouped bars highlight policy and labor conditions while the CPI line tracks the price level trend.
Fed funds versus unemployment
Scatter points are monthly observations; marker color reflects year and marker size reflects CPI level.
CPI inflation heatmap
Year-over-year CPI change by month, derived from the cleaned CPIAUCSL series.