1. Go to https://www.bea.gov/ and click on "Related Materials." What is the Nominal GDP (current market dollars or "Billions of Dollars") for the latest available quarter? Calculate the percent of Total Nominal GDP that is Personal Consumption Expenditures (Consumer Spending). What does the result of this infer about the importance of Consumer Spending to overall GDP?
2. Examine Net Exports. What does this infer about the impact of imports on the economy?
3. Examine the Real GDP displayed as "Billions of chain dollars." Explain the difference between the two measures of GDP.
4. Access the Bureau of Labor Statistics The Employment Situation file. Observe the graphs on the first page. What does the "inflection point" on both graphs demonstrate? Explain.
5. Scroll down to the latest Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate for the US. What is the latest unemployment rate? What does this convey regarding the current state of the economy and employment?
6. Access the Bureau of Labor Statistics Unemployment Rates for States. Find your state's unemployment rate. Then, determine the rate, its ranking among the states, and why it may or may not deviate from the norm of the country.