WASHINGTON, D.C. — Consistent voters are Americans who participate regularly in elections. They include voters affiliated with political parties as well as voters who identify as independent. Economic conditions affecting the electorate can be measured through federal statistics covering employment, unemployment, earnings, gross domestic product, consumer prices, household debt, credit conditions and consumer expectations.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on September 4, 2026, that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August. The national unemployment rate was 4.1 percent.
The August increase followed a period of slower payroll growth. According to BLS, payroll employment had increased by an average of 31,000 jobs per month during the previous 12 months.
Employment changes differed by industry.
Food services and drinking places added approximately 59,000 jobs in August. Local-government education employment increased by approximately 42,000. Home healthcare services added approximately 11,000 jobs, while hospitals added approximately 8,000.
Employment in the information industry declined by approximately 23,000.
BLS also reported employment and unemployment information from its household survey. Approximately 7.1 million people were unemployed in August 2026. The unemployment rate of 4.1 percent was unchanged from July.
The number of people unemployed for 27 weeks or longer was approximately 1.8 million. Long-term unemployed people accounted for approximately one-quarter of all unemployed Americans.
The labor-force participation rate was approximately 62 percent. This measure represents the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older that is either working or actively looking for employment.
Earnings provide another federal measure of labor-market conditions.
BLS reported that median weekly earnings for approximately 120.9 million full-time wage and salary workers were $1,251 during the second quarter of 2026. Median weekly earnings were 4.6 percent higher than during the second quarter of 2025.
Over the same 12-month period, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers increased 3.9 percent.
Average hourly earnings are measured separately from median weekly earnings. According to the August employment report, average hourly earnings for employees on private nonfarm payrolls continued to increase from the previous year.
Economic production is measured through gross domestic product.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that inflation-adjusted, or real, GDP increased at an annual rate of 1.5 percent during the second quarter of 2026.
Real GDP had increased at an annual rate of 2.1 percent during the first quarter.
According to BEA, the second-quarter increase reflected increases in consumer spending, exports and investment. A decrease in government spending partly offset those increases.
Consumer spending represents the largest component of U.S. economic activity. BEA measures household expenditures on goods and services as personal consumption expenditures.
Price measurements are reported separately from GDP growth.
BEA reported that the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index increased at a 5.3 percent annual rate during the second quarter. The PCE price index excluding food and energy increased at a 3.6 percent annual rate.
The Consumer Price Index and PCE price index are separate inflation measures produced by different federal statistical agencies using different methodologies.
Household debt is another measurement of Americans’ financial position.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported that total U.S. household debt was approximately $18.8 trillion during the second quarter of 2026.
Total household debt decreased by approximately $13 billion, or 0.1 percent, from the first quarter. Household debt includes mortgages, home-equity borrowing, automobile loans, credit-card balances, student loans and other consumer debt.
Mortgages continued to represent the largest component of household debt. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York also collects monthly information about consumers’ expectations for employment, income, spending, inflation and credit.
Its August 2026 Survey of Consumer Expectations reported a median expected household-income growth rate of 3.0 percent for the following 12 months. Median expected household-spending growth increased to 5.2 percent.
The survey reported that the average perceived probability of missing a minimum debt payment during the following three months increased to 13.2 percent. Consumers’ median expectation for inflation one year ahead was 3.6 percent. The survey also collected expectations for specific household expenses. Respondents expected food prices to increase by 5.3 percent during the following year. The median expected increase was 4.6 percent for gasoline, 6.6 percent for rent and 9.1 percent for medical-care costs. These figures measure survey respondents’ expectations. They are not measurements of actual future price changes.
Employment expectations were also included in the August survey.
The average probability assigned by respondents to the U.S. unemployment rate being higher one year later increased to 44.4 percent.
Respondents reported an average probability of approximately 45.4 percent of finding another job within three months if they lost their current employment.
Federal economic statistics measure separate components of economic activity.
The unemployment rate measures the percentage of people in the labor force who do not have jobs and are actively seeking employment. Nonfarm payroll employment measures the number of jobs reported through the establishment survey. The labor-force participation rate measures the percentage of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and older that is employed or actively seeking employment. Gross domestic product measures the value of goods and services produced within the United States.
Real GDP adjusts economic production for changes in prices.
The Consumer Price Index measures changes in prices paid by consumers for a specified basket of goods and services.
The Personal Consumption Expenditures price index is another measure of changes in consumer prices.
Nominal earnings measure wages in current dollars. Inflation-adjusted earnings account for changes in consumer prices.
Household-debt statistics measure outstanding consumer financial obligations.
Consumer-expectation surveys measure respondents’ expectations concerning future inflation, employment, income, spending and financial conditions.
As of the federal and Federal Reserve reports available in September 2026, the reported data included 162,000 additional nonfarm payroll jobs in August, a 4.1 percent unemployment rate, median weekly earnings of $1,251 for full-time wage and salary workers during the second quarter, 1.5 percent annualized real GDP growth during the second quarter and approximately $18.8 trillion in total household debt.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis and Federal Reserve System publish these economic measurements independently according to their respective statistical methodologies.
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By A. Paul, Staff Reporter contributed to this report.
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