Whenomics
Where the numbers come from
Every clue comes from a number published by a US government agency. Whenomics averages a year's monthly or daily figures, works out inflation from two yearly averages, and rounds for display. Nothing else is changed.
| Clue | Years | Source |
|---|
How a year's number is made
- Rates and prices are the average of that calendar year's monthly figures (daily, for the federal funds rate).
- Inflation is the change in the yearly average of the Consumer Price Index from the year before.
- The federal minimum wage and the price of a first-class stamp change on set dates, so a year shows the price in effect on July 1.
- Prices are national averages across US cities, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes them, not adjusted for inflation.
Not from FRED
The St. Louis Fed's FRED is the usual place to get these series, but its terms of use restrict storing its content without permission, which a game has to do. So every number is taken from the agency that publishes it.
When the data was retrieved
BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Not an official site
Whenomics is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Labor or the Postal Service. If a number looks wrong, the source link in the table is the place to check it.