---
title: Economic Indicators
description: Working with key economic indicators using FRED MCP Server
icon: 'chart-line'
---
# Economic Indicators Examples
Learn how to retrieve and analyze key economic indicators using the FRED MCP Server.
## Labor Market Indicators
### Unemployment Rate
Retrieve the monthly unemployment rate:
```javascript
// Using fred_get_series
{
"series_id": "UNRATE",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"observation_end": "2024-10-01"
}
```
**Response:**
```json
{
"series_id": "UNRATE",
"title": "Unemployment Rate",
"units": "Percent",
"frequency": "Monthly",
"seasonal_adjustment": "Seasonally Adjusted",
"observations": [
{
"date": "2024-09-01",
"value": "4.2"
},
{
"date": "2024-08-01",
"value": "4.3"
}
]
}
```
### Labor Force Participation
Track workforce participation trends:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "CIVPART",
"observation_start": "2015-01-01"
}
```
<Tip>
Combine multiple series to understand labor market dynamics:
- **UNRATE**: Unemployment rate
- **CIVPART**: Labor force participation
- **EMRATIO**: Employment-population ratio
- **U6RATE**: Broader unemployment measure
</Tip>
### Nonfarm Payrolls
Monthly employment changes:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PAYEMS",
"observation_start": "2023-01-01",
"units": "chg", // Period-to-period change
"frequency": "m"
}
```
## Inflation Indicators
### Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Track headline inflation:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "CPIAUCSL",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1" // Percent change from year ago
}
```
### Core Inflation
CPI excluding volatile food and energy:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "CPILFESL",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
<CodeGroup>
```javascript Headline CPI
{
"series_id": "CPIAUCSL",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
```javascript Core CPI
{
"series_id": "CPILFESL",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
```javascript PCE Price Index
{
"series_id": "PCEPI",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
```javascript Core PCE
{
"series_id": "PCEPILFE",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
</CodeGroup>
### Producer Price Index
Wholesale price changes:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PPIACO",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
## GDP and Growth
### Real GDP
Inflation-adjusted economic output:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "GDPC1",
"observation_start": "2015-Q1",
"units": "pca" // Percent change at annual rate
}
```
### Nominal GDP
Current dollar GDP:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "GDP",
"observation_start": "2015-Q1",
"frequency": "q"
}
```
### GDP Components
<Tabs>
<Tab title="Consumption">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PCEC",
"observation_start": "2020-Q1"
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Investment">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "GPDI",
"observation_start": "2020-Q1"
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Government Spending">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "GCE",
"observation_start": "2020-Q1"
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Net Exports">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "NETEXP",
"observation_start": "2020-Q1"
}
```
</Tab>
</Tabs>
## Interest Rates
### Federal Funds Rate
The Fed's primary policy rate:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "DFF",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"frequency": "d"
}
```
### Treasury Yields
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card title="2-Year Treasury" icon="clock">
```javascript
series_id: "DGS2"
```
</Card>
<Card title="10-Year Treasury" icon="clock">
```javascript
series_id: "DGS10"
```
</Card>
<Card title="30-Year Treasury" icon="clock">
```javascript
series_id: "DGS30"
```
</Card>
<Card title="Yield Curve Spread" icon="chart-area">
```javascript
series_id: "T10Y2Y"
```
</Card>
</CardGroup>
### Mortgage Rates
30-year fixed mortgage rate:
```javascript
{
"series_id": "MORTGAGE30US",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"frequency": "w"
}
```
## Financial Markets
### Stock Market Indices
```javascript
// S&P 500
{
"series_id": "SP500",
"observation_start": "2023-01-01"
}
// Dow Jones Industrial Average
{
"series_id": "DJIA",
"observation_start": "2023-01-01"
}
// NASDAQ Composite
{
"series_id": "NASDAQCOM",
"observation_start": "2023-01-01"
}
```
### Exchange Rates
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Major Currencies">
```javascript
// Euro
{ "series_id": "DEXUSEU" }
// British Pound
{ "series_id": "DEXUSUK" }
// Japanese Yen
{ "series_id": "DEXJPUS" }
// Swiss Franc
{ "series_id": "DEXSZUS" }
```
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Emerging Markets">
```javascript
// Chinese Yuan
{ "series_id": "DEXCHUS" }
// Mexican Peso
{ "series_id": "DEXMXUS" }
// Brazilian Real
{ "series_id": "DEXBZUS" }
```
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Trade-Weighted">
```javascript
// Broad Dollar Index
{ "series_id": "DTWEXBGS" }
// Advanced Economies
{ "series_id": "DTWEXAFEGS" }
// Emerging Markets
{ "series_id": "DTWEXEMEGS" }
```
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
## Production Indicators
### Industrial Production
```javascript
{
"series_id": "INDPRO",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
### Manufacturing
```javascript
// Manufacturing Output
{
"series_id": "IPMAN",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
// Capacity Utilization
{
"series_id": "TCU",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
```
### Housing
<Steps>
<Step title="Housing Starts">
```javascript
{ "series_id": "HOUST" }
```
</Step>
<Step title="Building Permits">
```javascript
{ "series_id": "PERMIT" }
```
</Step>
<Step title="Existing Home Sales">
```javascript
{ "series_id": "EXHOSLUSM495S" }
```
</Step>
<Step title="Home Price Index">
```javascript
{ "series_id": "CSUSHPISA" }
```
</Step>
</Steps>
## Consumer Indicators
### Retail Sales
```javascript
{
"series_id": "RSXFS",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pch"
}
```
### Consumer Confidence
```javascript
// University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment
{
"series_id": "UMCSENT",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
// Conference Board Consumer Confidence
{
"series_id": "CSCICP03USM665S",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
```
### Personal Income and Spending
<Tabs>
<Tab title="Personal Income">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PI",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Personal Spending">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PCE",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
</Tab>
<Tab title="Savings Rate">
```javascript
{
"series_id": "PSAVERT",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01"
}
```
</Tab>
</Tabs>
## Money Supply
### Monetary Aggregates
```javascript
// M1 Money Supply
{
"series_id": "M1SL",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
// M2 Money Supply
{
"series_id": "M2SL",
"observation_start": "2020-01-01",
"units": "pc1"
}
```
## Searching for Indicators
Find indicators by topic:
```javascript
// Search for inflation indicators
{
"query": "inflation",
"tags": ["monthly", "sa"],
"limit": 20,
"sort_by": "popularity"
}
// Search for employment
{
"query": "employment",
"tags": ["bls", "monthly"],
"limit": 20
}
```
## Best Practices
<Warning>
**Key considerations when working with indicators:**
- **Frequency**: Match series frequencies for comparisons
- **Seasonal Adjustment**: Use SA versions for trend analysis
- **Units**: Verify units before calculations
- **Revisions**: Economic data undergoes revisions
- **Release Dates**: Check when data is typically updated
</Warning>
### Combining Multiple Indicators
```javascript
// Create dashboard of key indicators
const dashboard = [
{ id: "UNRATE", name: "Unemployment" },
{ id: "CPIAUCSL", name: "CPI", transform: "pc1" },
{ id: "GDP", name: "GDP", transform: "pca" },
{ id: "DFF", name: "Fed Funds Rate" },
{ id: "SP500", name: "S&P 500" }
];
// Fetch all in date range
dashboard.forEach(indicator => {
fred_get_series({
series_id: indicator.id,
observation_start: "2020-01-01",
units: indicator.transform || "lin"
});
});
```
## Next Steps
<CardGroup cols={2}>
<Card
title="Time Series Analysis"
icon="chart-line"
href="/examples/time-series-analysis"
>
Analyze trends and patterns
</Card>
<Card
title="Data Transformations"
icon="calculator"
href="/examples/data-transformations"
>
Transform data for analysis
</Card>
<Card
title="Common Series"
icon="bookmark"
href="/resources/common-series"
>
Popular indicator reference
</Card>
<Card
title="API Reference"
icon="book"
href="/api-reference/overview"
>
Tool documentation
</Card>
</CardGroup>
