Follow the Data features regular posts on macroeconomic trends, paired with hands-on use of RESERVE to explore the underlying data via the St. Louis Fed’s FRED® platform.
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The Sleeping Inflation Giant Hidden in Semiconductor Data
Economists watch oil. Politicians watch groceries and rent. Markets watch the Fed. Everyone is watching gas and diesel prices. But buried deep inside a relatively obscure U.S. Bureau of Labor producer-price series may be an entirely different inflation story — one that could define the next decade of enterprise economics. The number is semiconductor and …
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Tracking Exploding Beef Prices
Ground beef comes in a wide range of varieties, with pricing influenced by factors such as fat content, grading quality, and premium options like grass-fed beef. Every one of these characteristics affects the final retail price consumers see at the grocery store. Historically, ground beef prices have moved in cycles, rising and falling alongside broader …
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What Say Kai Ryssdall?
Marketplace, the popular economics podcast, has built a reputation for making complex economic topics accessible to everyday listeners. Much of that appeal comes from host Kai Ryssdal, whose mix of sharp insight, humor, and storytelling makes even the driest data surprisingly entertaining. On May 7, 2026, the Marketplace episode contained a segment titled “Measuring Economic …
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$34 Trillion in Debt: Crisis or Context?
The U.S. national debt has surpassed $34 trillion. That number sounds alarming—but on its own, it doesn’t tell you much. To understand whether this is a crisis or just context, we need to stop looking at headlines—and start looking at the data. The Problem with Big Numbers $34 trillion is a big number. But so …
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The Domino’s Problem: Are Consumers Starting to Tap Out?
As of May 2026, the high-level narrative still points to strong consumer spending. Visa’s latest earnings report highlighted 17% revenue growth, partly driven by continued consumer strength. But this is a K-shaped economy—and not all consumers are participating equally. On April 27th, Domino’s Pizza told a very different story: Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) Q1 2026 earnings, …
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