data

There’s an ongoing debate about what data the Federal Reserve should use to measure our economy.

Last year, Bending Spoons lost more than $100 million. But now, it’s turning a profit.

The Trump administration has disappeared statistics on the economy, public health, and more from public access.

Yale’s Martha Gimbel tracks frequently updated information like weekly unemployment claims and private-sector reports.

Data doesn’t always show a full picture. Example: Functional unemployment was 23.3% in January — very different than the 4% headline figure.

“If we think about the ways that companies collect data, it ranges so widely from different company,” said George Washington University’s Tara Sinclair. “That’s why it’s so important that we have government statistical agencies.”

Data collected by the government helps researchers, policymakers, business owners and other individuals understand what’s happening in the economy.

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. And under the Trump administration, a number of data sets that investors and businesses use have gone missing.

The Arctic World Archive — 300 meters below the permafrost in a demilitarized zone — houses art, music and a copy of the world’s open source code.

While there’s a lot of new economic data coming out between now and then, it will probably be relevant for later Fed meetings.