Economy Intel MCP

US Series

us_series

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve key US economic indicators like CPI, unemployment, payrolls, and retail sales for analysis. Accepts series keys, returns current data, no API key needed.

Instructions

Get a key US economic time series. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics: us_unemployment_rate, us_cpi, us_nonfarm_payrolls, us_labor_participation, us_avg_hourly_earnings, us_ppi. From the US Census Bureau: us_retail_sales (advance retail & food services, seasonally adjusted). The BLS series are kept warm by Datakoot and always available. A raw BLS series ID is also accepted, but BLS rate-limits by client IP and Datakoot runs on shared edge IPs, so an uncached series may return an upstream-limit error instead of data; that error means the upstream refused, not that the series does not exist.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`series`	Yes	A US series key: us_unemployment_rate, us_cpi, us_nonfarm_payrolls, us_labor_participation, us_avg_hourly_earnings, us_ppi (BLS), or us_retail_sales (US Census). These are cached by Datakoot and kept current. A raw BLS series ID is also accepted, but uncached series often hit BLS rate limits.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`data`	No
`as_of`	No
`series`	No
`source`	No
`seriesID`	No
`provenance`	No	Where this answer came from. served_at is when Datakoot answered (UTC); upstream lists the official sources consulted. Datakoot may serve a briefly cached copy, so the source's own observation can be older than served_at.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedv2.1.0Oct 15, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Goes well beyond the readOnly/idempotent/openWorld annotations by disclosing caching behavior, shared-edge-IP rate limiting, and the precise meaning of an upstream-limit error (refusal, not a nonexistent series). This error semantics is exactly the kind of operational context annotations cannot carry.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the purpose, then the key list, then the caching and error caveats in a logical order. The error-handling sentence is long but earns its place; overall dense without filler.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present, return values need no explanation, and the description covers the remaining gaps an agent needs: valid inputs, availability guarantees, and failure interpretation. Nothing required to invoke it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and the schema description already lists the valid keys and the raw-BLS-ID caveat, so the description largely restates what the structured field provides. The bureau grouping adds marginal value but no new syntax or format detail.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Get a key US economic time series') and enumerates the exact series keys available, split by source agency. An agent can distinguish this US-series tool from the country-oriented siblings without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explains which series are reliably available (BLS keys kept warm by Datakoot) and when a raw BLS series ID is acceptable but risky. It stops short of explicitly naming an alternative tool or stating when-not to use this one, so it is clear context rather than full routing guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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