They are not seasonally adusted, and are thus subject to predictable seasonal variations. .
Labor Force .
The labor force includes both people employed for wages and those not employed for wages but looking for work (and therefore considered unemployed). The figures are seasonally adjusted, so predictable seasonal flucturations are filtered out. .
Personal Income .
Personal income is the income received by all persons from participation in production from government and business transfer payments, and from government interest. Personal income is the sum of net earnings by place of residence, rental income of persons, personal dividend income, personal interest income, and transfer payments. .
Purchasing Managers' Survey .
The purchasing managers' index is a composite index used to gauge the strength of the manufacturing sector. The break-even point of the index is said to be 50 meaning readings above indicate expansion and below indicate contraction in the economy. .
Retail Sales .
Retail Sales are seasonally adjusted numbers obtained from monthly reports from the Illinois Department of Revenue and the U.S. Bureau of the Census. .
Sector Employment .
Sector employment shows employment by each major non-agricultural industry as defined by the North American Industry Classificaton System (NAICS). These figures are not seasonally adjusted, so they are subject to predictable seasonal variations. .
Cost of living.
Cost of living measures included here are designed to compare the costs between places. They are not designed to compare costs over time. The Consumer Price Index is also used as a measure of the cost of living.
Unemployment Rate.
Persons are classified as unemployed if they do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior 4 weeks, and are currently available for work. The unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the labor force.
Producer Price Index (PPI).
