WHAT IS THE CURRENT U.S. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE? Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site, www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.toc.htm, and select Employment Situation Summary. What month (and year) is summarized? What was the unemployment rate for that month? How does that rate compare with the rate in the previous month? What were the unemployment rates for adult men, adult women, teenagers, blacks, Hispanics, and whites? How did these rates compare with those a month earlier?

WHAT IS THE CURRENT U.S. INFLATION RATE? Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics Web Site, www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.toc.htm, and select Consumer Price Index Summary. What month (and year) is summarized? What was the CPI-U for the month? What was the rate of inflation (change in the CPI-U) for the month? How does that rate of inflation compare with the rate for the previous month? Which two categories of goods or services had the greatest price increases for the month? Which two had the lowest price increases (or greatest price decreases) for the month?