Economy Watch

Last Updated: 5/17/2025

Overall Economy Score : B

CPI (Consumer Price Index) – Lagging; Currently Year-over-Year Inflation 2.3% in April 2025

• Measures inflation by tracking changes in the price level of a basket of consumer goods and services
• Tells you what inflation has already happened, not what's coming
• Useful for assessing purchasing power trends, real wage changes, and monetary policy responses
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Unemployment Rate – Lagging; 4.2% April 2025 Seasonally Adjusted

• Indicates the percentage of the labor force that is jobless and actively looking for work
• Tends to improve after economic recovery begins
• Tied closely to consumer spending and business hiring confidence
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Tariff Impact – Very Lagging; Approx 22% with 10% as standard baseline

• Effects of trade policy (e.g. tariffs) often take months or even years to fully show up in supply chains, prices, and employment
• Especially delayed in industries with long production cycles
• Complex due to multinational sourcing and trade rerouting
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Federal Funds Rate (Fed Interest Rate) – Lagging in terms of economic effect; 4.25% to 4.5%

• A policy tool, not an economic result—but its effects are lagging (typically felt 6–18 months later)
• Impacts borrowing costs, investments, savings rates, and eventually inflation and employment
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Country	GDP Growth (%)	Interest Rate (%)	Inflation Rate (%)	Jobless Rate (%)	Population (millions)
United States	-0.30	4.50	2.30	4.20	341.15
China	1.20	3.10	-0.10	5.20	1408.00
Euro Area	0.30	2.40	2.20	6.20	350.17
Germany	0.20	2.40	2.10	6.30	83.46
Japan	-0.20	0.50	3.60	2.50	123.59
India	1.60	6.00	3.16	7.90	1386.18
United Kingdom	0.70	4.25	2.60	4.50	68.27

Methodology: Publishing Soon