An economic headline often compresses a large release into one number. To understand what that number describes, start with the source, reporting period, geographic area, and comparison used in the original release.
This guide explains questions to ask while reading. It does not report a current employment, inflation, market, or growth figure.
Identify the period and place
Find out whether the release covers a month, a quarter, a year, or another period. Its publication date is usually a separate piece of information. A newly published report can describe an earlier reporting period.
Check the geographic definition as well. A city, county, metropolitan area, state, and country are different populations. Do not apply a figure for one area to another without evidence that the comparison is appropriate.
Understand the comparison
Ask what the number is being compared with. A change from the preceding month answers a different question from a change over twelve months. Read the release’s definitions rather than assuming that every percentage describes the same measure.
Look for notes about seasonal adjustment, inflation adjustment, and the units used. These details help explain what the source is measuring and which comparisons it intends readers to make.
Check revisions and qualifications
Read any revision note and the explanation of how the figures were produced. If a report updates an earlier estimate, use the appropriate version when making a comparison and identify the date of the release you are using.
A change in a statistic does not, by itself, establish its cause. Separate the measured result from explanations offered by officials, analysts, or other commentators.
Keep a route back to the release
When saving or sharing an economic claim, keep the direct release link and its publication date. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics news-release directory is one place to find original statistical releases.
The Finance section links to additional reporting and source material. Read the original release alongside the reporting to see which parts are data, interpretation, or forecast.