9a181ae43b
Added SUMMARY.md executive summaries to all 7 datasets with: - 🎯 BEST ESTIMATE section at top - 12-word one-liners for quick reference - Confidence levels and caveats - Extensive authoritative linking - Alternative Estimates sections where applicable - Changelogs for revision tracking Updated Data/README.md with: - Quick reference table of all datasets - Full schema documentation - Confidence level guidelines - Anti-patterns to avoid Datasets standardized: - Knowledge-Worker-Global-Salaries (gold standard) - US-GDP - US-Inflation - US-Presidential-Approval - Bay-Area-COVID-Wastewater - US-Common-Metrics - Pulitzer-Prize-Winners 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
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US Common Metrics: Executive Summary
🎯 WHAT THIS IS
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Dataset Type | Dashboard / Reference Catalog |
| Coverage | 60+ U.S. economic and social indicators |
| Update Frequency | Daily → Annual (varies by metric) |
| Last Updated | December 2025 |
One-liner: Real-time reference dashboard for 60+ authoritative U.S. economic indicators.
Caveat: This is a catalog, not an estimate—each metric has its own update schedule and methodology.
Why This Dashboard Matters
The U.S. economy is measured by dozens of agencies using hundreds of methodologies. Navigating FRED, BLS, EIA, Treasury, and Census separately is time-consuming and error-prone.
This dashboard provides:
- Single source of truth for the most-referenced U.S. metrics
- Full provenance - every number linked to its authoritative source
- Current values with update dates so you know data freshness
- FRED IDs for programmatic access to historical data
Key Indicators at a Glance
Economic Health
| Metric | Current Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Real GDP | ~$23.8T (Q3 2024) | BEA |
| GDP Growth (QoQ) | 3.8% | BEA |
| Unemployment (U-3) | 4.4% | BLS |
| CPI Inflation | ~324 (index) | BLS |
Consumer & Housing
| Metric | Current Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer Sentiment | 53.6 | U. Michigan |
| 30-Year Mortgage Rate | 6.23% | Freddie Mac |
| Median Home Price | ~$411K | Census |
Financial & Fiscal
| Metric | Current Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Fed Funds Rate | 3.88% | Federal Reserve |
| 10-Year Treasury | 4.02% | Treasury |
| Debt-to-GDP Ratio | 118.8% | FRED |
| S&P 500 | ~6,813 | S&P |
Update Schedule
| Frequency | What Gets Updated | Typical Lag |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | Treasury yields, Fed funds, oil prices, stock indices | Same day |
| Weekly | Jobless claims, gas prices, mortgage rates | 4-7 days |
| Monthly | CPI, PCE, employment, retail sales, housing | 2-4 weeks |
| Quarterly | GDP, home prices, debt service ratio | 1-3 months |
| Annual | Population, GINI, poverty, mortality | 6-18 months |
Data Sources
All metrics come from authoritative government and institutional sources:
| Source | Website | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| FRED | Federal Reserve Economic Data | Most economic indicators (aggregator) |
| BLS | Bureau of Labor Statistics | Employment, wages, CPI |
| BEA | Bureau of Economic Analysis | GDP, PCE, personal income |
| Census | Census Bureau | Demographics, housing starts |
| EIA | Energy Information Administration | Gas prices, oil, energy |
| Treasury | Treasury Department | Federal debt, budget |
| CDC WONDER | CDC | Mortality statistics |
| EPA AQS | Environmental Protection Agency | Air quality |
How to Use This Dashboard
For Quick Reference
Open US-Common-Metrics.md for current values organized by category.
For Programmatic Access
# Get current values as CSV
cat us-metrics-current.csv
# Update all metrics (requires API keys)
bun run update.ts
For Historical Data
Use the FRED ID listed for each metric to access full time series.
For Source Verification
Every metric links to its authoritative source. Click through to verify methodology.
Methodology
Design Philosophy
- Authoritative sources only - Government agencies and established institutions
- Provenance required - Every number must trace to a specific source
- Transparency - Methodology documented for each data source
- Automation - Scripts update values; humans don't hand-edit data
Data Quality Notes
- Revisions: Many economic indicators are revised multiple times. Values shown are the most recent.
- Seasonal Adjustment: Most monthly/quarterly metrics are seasonally adjusted (SA/SAAR).
- Index vs. Level: Some metrics are indices (CPI, PPI), others are levels (GDP). Check units.
Known Limitations
- Table Formatting: Some automated updates may corrupt markdown tables (being fixed)
- Missing Values: Some metrics show
--when data isn't available or API failed - Lag: Annual metrics (mortality, demographics) have 6-18 month publication delays
- No Forecasts: This is ground-truth data only, no projections
Supporting Documentation
| Document | Description |
|---|---|
| US-Common-Metrics.md | Full dataset with all 60+ metrics |
| source.md | Detailed methodology per data source |
| us-metrics-current.csv | Machine-readable current values |
| us-metrics-historical.csv | Historical time series |
Changelog
| Date | Change | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | Added SUMMARY.md with executive overview | Standardizing Substrate datasets to "Answer First" schema |
| December 2025 | Fixed table formatting corruption | Automated updates introduced markdown errors |
| December 2025 | Initial 60+ metric catalog | Comprehensive U.S. indicators dashboard |
Research Metadata
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Dataset Type | Dashboard / Reference Catalog |
| Maintainer | Daniel Miessler / Kai |
| Automation | bun run update.ts |
| API Keys Required | FRED, EIA, Census (all free) |
| Last Validation | December 2025 |