Federal Reserve Economic Data

Table Data - Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions: Labor Costs Index in Federal Reserve District 7: Chicago

Title Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions: Labor Costs Index in Federal Reserve District 7: Chicago
Series ID CFSBCLABORCOSTS
Source Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Release Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions
Seasonal Adjustment Not Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency Monthly
Units Index
Date Range 2013-02-01 to 2024-12-01
Last Updated 2024-12-23 9:04 AM CST
Notes What is the Survey of Economic Conditions?
Contacts located in the Seventh Federal Reserve District are asked to rate various aspects of economic conditions along a seven-point scale ranging from "large increase" to "large decrease." A series of diffusion indexes summarizing the distribution of responses is then calculated.

How are the indexes constructed?
Respondents' answers on the seven-point scale are assigned a numeric value ranging from +3 to –3. Each diffusion index is calculated as the difference between the number of respondents with answers above their respective average responses and the number of respondents with answers below their respective average responses, divided by the total number of respondents. The index is then multiplied by 100 so that it ranges from +100 to −100 and will be +100 if every respondent provides an above-average answer and –100 if every respondent provides a below-average answer. Respondents with no prior history of responses are excluded from the calculation.

What do the numbers mean?
Respondents' respective average answers to a question can be interpreted as representing their historical trends, or long-run averages. Thus, zero index values indicate, on balance, average growth (or a neutral outlook) for activity, hiring, capital spending, and cost pressures. Positive index values indicate above-average growth (or an optimistic outlook) on balance, and negative values indicate below-average growth (or a pessimistic outlook) on balance.

Beginning with the May 12, 2020 release, the CFSEC moved to a monthly release schedule. This release, with data for April 2020, now contains estimated monthly historical values for the CFSEC indexes, as will all future releases. For additional information on how the survey and indexes changed, see the CFSEC FAQs available here.

Prior to April 2022, the Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions was named the Chicago Fed Survey of Business Conditions (CFSBC). The name change was made to better represent the survey’s aim and base of respondents. The goal of the survey is to assess the state of the economy in the Seventh Federal Reserve District. Moreover, since the beginning of the survey, it was been filled out by both business and nonbusiness contacts.
DATE VALUE
2013-02-01 -30.0000000000000000
2013-03-01 -27.9822616577148440
2013-04-01 -41.4634132385253900
2013-05-01 -70.7317047119140600
2013-06-01 -40.5758132934570300
2013-07-01 -32.5006065368652340
2013-08-01 -45.9677429199218750
2013-09-01 -36.3574562072753900
2013-10-01 -32.3244972229003900
2013-11-01 -33.5999984741210940
2013-12-01 -30.7086944580078120
2014-01-01 -27.1808795928955080
2014-02-01 -23.0769233703613280
2014-03-01 -37.5303649902343750
2014-04-01 -35.4524230957031250
2014-05-01 -14.7783260345458980
2014-06-01 6.4698801040649410
2014-07-01 7.8988866806030270
2014-08-01 -10.3960390090942380
2014-09-01 -17.9798831939697270
2014-10-01 -17.9631843566894530
2014-11-01 -10.3448276519775390
2014-12-01 -3.5982010364532470
2015-01-01 0.0000000000000000
2015-02-01 0.0000000000000000
2015-03-01 5.9659090042114260
2015-04-01 11.1189136505126950
2015-05-01 14.6067419052124020
2015-06-01 4.7630681991577150
2015-07-01 1.5715035200119019
2015-08-01 4.8192772865295410
2015-09-01 1.5715035200119019
2015-10-01 -5.2273483276367190
2015-11-01 -16.0305347442626950
2015-12-01 -12.2306737899780270
2016-01-01 -9.2626657485961910
2016-02-01 -7.3170728683471680
2016-03-01 -8.7658767700195310
2016-04-01 -7.8693485260009770
2016-05-01 -4.4776120185852050
2016-06-01 -11.4748983383178710
2016-07-01 -7.2286210060119630
2016-08-01 8.5443038940429690
2016-09-01 -1.8844984769821167
2016-10-01 -5.6297636032104490
2016-11-01 -2.9411764144897460
2016-12-01 -1.0230178833007812
2017-01-01 0.9717823863029480
2017-02-01 2.9801325798034670
2017-03-01 6.9278407096862790
2017-04-01 2.0546529293060303
2017-05-01 -12.2033891677856450
2017-06-01 4.8699975013732910
2017-07-01 4.9220385551452640
2017-08-01 -12.0437955856323240
2017-09-01 3.4244539737701416
2017-10-01 10.9749670028686520
2017-11-01 11.1111106872558600
2017-12-01 5.9314823150634770
2018-01-01 3.6122601032257080
2018-02-01 4.5283017158508300
2018-03-01 16.0979404449462900
2018-04-01 20.6713581085205080
2018-05-01 16.5957450866699220
2018-06-01 -4.8549880981445310
2018-07-01 -7.6124477386474610
2018-08-01 8.1395349502563480
2018-09-01 11.3811273574829100
2018-10-01 15.5603713989257810
2018-11-01 20.9558830261230470
2018-12-01 16.1822834014892580
2019-01-01 9.1897230148315430
2019-02-01 0.0000000000000000
2019-03-01 -3.5484960079193115
2019-04-01 -6.0075483322143555
2019-05-01 -6.8702287673950195
2019-06-01 -17.7325458526611330
2019-07-01 -23.2738742828369140
2019-08-01 -23.8636360168457030
2019-09-01 -19.6742038726806640
2019-10-01 -17.9620838165283200
2019-11-01 -18.6131381988525400
2019-12-01 -1.9763839244842530
2020-01-01 3.8555619716644287
2020-02-01 -2.4291496276855470
2020-03-01 -27.6552066802978500
2020-04-01 -65.4723129272461000
2020-05-01 -64.2151870727539000
2020-06-01 -58.1780700683593750
2020-07-01 -50.4604492187500000
2020-08-01 -48.7093887329101560
2020-09-01 -45.6524848937988300
2020-10-01 -48.2384948730468750
2020-11-01 -36.2030944824218750
2020-12-01 -32.4116210937500000
2021-01-01 -28.6162242889404300
2021-02-01 -14.6113500595092770
2021-03-01 -17.6396293640136720
2021-04-01 -2.1552901268005370
2021-05-01 7.1829462051391600
2021-06-01 13.2230834960937500
2021-07-01 25.2992763519287100
2021-08-01 30.0402259826660160
2021-09-01 23.9502677917480470
2021-10-01 17.4657535552978500
2021-11-01 18.7722473144531250
2021-12-01 10.9509191513061520
2022-01-01 25.6336536407470700
2022-02-01 38.3955192565918000
2022-03-01 19.5167465209960940
2022-04-01 22.4411277770996100
2022-05-01 28.7409210205078120
2022-06-01 25.0453453063964840
2022-07-01 29.2435913085937500
2022-08-01 13.4434833526611330
2022-09-01 -6.3894424438476560
2022-10-01 -13.7766075134277340
2022-11-01 -14.2540321350097660
2022-12-01 -4.1958041191101070
2023-01-01 11.7647056579589840
2023-02-01 11.4285717010498050
2023-03-01 -0.9771986603736877
2023-04-01 2.0270271301269530
2023-05-01 -7.9734215736389160
2023-06-01 -9.8039216995239260
2023-07-01 -17.6470584869384770
2023-08-01 -13.6807813644409180
2023-09-01 -20.0636940002441400
2023-10-01 -10.0671138763427730
2023-11-01 -21.4285717010498050
2023-12-01 -11.3636360168457030
2024-01-01 13.1868133544921880
2024-02-01 -5.3763442039489750
2024-03-01 -9.2307691574096680
2024-04-01 -7.3170733451843260
2024-05-01 -20.7317066192626950
2024-06-01 -40.8560333251953100
2024-07-01 -16.8539333343505860
2024-08-01 -40.0000000000000000
2024-09-01 -31.4079418182373050
2024-10-01 -40.7547149658203100
2024-11-01 -16.6007900238037100
2024-12-01 -43.9024391174316400

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