December Closes with $144.75 Billion Deficit, Up to $602.38 Billion Deficit for FY2026
In December, the federal government ran a deficit of $144.749 billion. From the beginning of the fiscal year to December, deficits were $602.38 billion. This means 32.97 percent of outlays in FY2026 were not paid for by revenues, and for every dollar the federal government received in revenue, it sp...
December Closes with $144.75 Billion Deficit, Up to $602.38 Billion Deficit for FY2026
In December, the federal government ran a deficit of $144.749 billion. From the beginning of the fiscal year to December, deficits were $602.38 billion. This means 32.97 percent of outlays in FY2026 were not paid for by revenues, and for every dollar the federal government received in revenue, it sp...
Consumer Price Index Inflation Holds Steady, Ends December at 2.68 Percent
The headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) remained relatively steady ending at 2.68 percent year over year in December, meeting expectations. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy, was 2.64 percent year over year, compared to 2.63 percent in November.
December Unemployment Dropped Slightly to 4.4%, 50,000 Jobs added in December, Participation Rate Unchanged
In December, 50,000 jobs were added (+37K private sector jobs, and +13K government jobs), slightly down from the 56,000 added in November and lower than the expected 73,000. The unemployment rate still dropped slightly to 4.4 percent down from 4.5 percent in November. Revised numbers from November s...
National Debt Hits $38.43 Trillion, Increased $2.25 Trillion Year over Year, $8.03 Billion Per Day
As of January 7, 2026, total gross national debt is $38.43 trillion. Relative to one year ago, total gross national debt is $2.25 trillion higher; relative to five years ago, it is $10.73 trillion higher. Over the past year, the rate of increase averaged $8.03 billion per day, $334.48 million per ho...
Stop Paying More for Less: Realigning Healthcare Incentives to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs
On December 17, 2025, the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee held a hearing titled?Stop Paying More for Less: Realigning Healthcare Incentives to Improve Outcomes and Reduce Costs. Members engaged with witnesses on how contemporary debates surrounding healthcare have been primarily focused on th...
Consumer Price Index Inflation Drops to 2.74 Percent, Lowest Since July
The Joint Economic Committee released its Monthly Inflation Update for November. The headline Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) inflation fell to 2.74 percent year over year in November, below expectations of 3.0 percent. This is the biggest drop in U.S. inflation since March 2025. Core CPI, which exclud...
SCAMS ALERT: Bipartisan Leaders of the Joint Economic Committee Warn Consumers About Holiday Travel Scams
Joint Economic Committee Chairman David Schweikert (R-AZ), Ranking Member Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Committee Senior House Democrat Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued a bipartisan alert to consumers about the risk of travel scams ahead of the holiday...
Bipartisan Leaders of the Joint Economic Committee Issue Requests to Federal Agencies on Efforts to Crack Down on Overseas Scam Networks
Joint Economic Committee Chairman David Schweikert (R-AZ), Ranking Member Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Vice Chairman Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and Senior House Democrat Don Beyer (D-VA) today issued requests to federal agencies for information on their efforts to crack down on overseas scam networks that steal ...
Unemployment Rises to 4.6%; 64,000 Jobs Added in November; 105,000 Jobs Lost in October Due to Losses in the Federal Government
In the latest Joint Economic Committee Employment Update, the first update since the government shutdown halted jobs data releases. Private sector jobs increased the past two months while the federal government experienced significant losses. In November, 64,000 jobs were added (+69K private sector ...