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Edition of Nov. 9, 2026

Financial stability across the U.S.

Has anything changed that affects my ability to earn and cover what I need?

This page shows the edition of Nov. 9, 2026. We don't edit it. Any correction shows on it, with its date.

On this page
  1. Are the things I need becoming harder to afford or obtain?
  2. Is my ability to earn getting stronger or weaker?
  3. Questions we can't answer yet
  4. For your business

Are the things I need becoming harder to afford or obtain?

About the same

U.S.Figures through Nov. 2, 2026

Each figure is compared with the same time a year ago.

How things stand now. This is not a forecast.

  • Electricity prices up 3.4% vs. a year earlierU.S.August 2026
  • Gasoline up 37.6% vs. a year earlierU.S.Week of Nov. 2, 2026
  • Food-at-home prices up 1.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.September 2026
Explain this
Electricity prices

What it is: This is the price homes pay for power. Power is sold by the kilowatt-hour, and this is the price in cents for each one.

Why it moves: Many power plants burn fuel, like natural gas, to make power. When that fuel costs more, power costs more. New power lines and plants add to the price over time. Hot summers and cold winters make people use more.

Who controls it: In many states, a state board must say yes to what power companies charge homes. In some states, homes can pick who they buy power from. Buyers and sellers set fuel prices.

What it means for you: When it goes up, the same power use costs you more each month.

Gasoline

What it is: This is the price of a gallon of regular gas at the pump.

Why it moves: Gas is made from oil, so when oil costs more, gas costs more. Prices often rise in summer, when more people drive. They can jump when a plant that makes gas shuts down. Taxes are part of the price too.

Who controls it: Buyers and sellers around the world set the price of oil. Some countries that pump a lot of oil agree on how much to pump. Each gas station sets its own price.

What it means for you: When it goes up, it costs more to fill your tank and get where you need to go.

Food-at-home prices

What it is: This shows how much the prices of food from stores have changed in a year. It is food you buy to eat at home, not meals out.

Why it moves: Food costs more when it costs more to grow, pack and ship. Bad weather or sick animals can mean less food to sell, and prices go up. Fuel and workers' pay are part of the cost too.

Who controls it: Stores set their own prices. They follow what farms, food makers and shippers charge them. No one group sets food prices.

What it means for you: When it goes up, the same cart of groceries costs more. That leaves less money for other things.

Household bankruptcy filings

What it is: This counts how many times people filed for bankruptcy in the past year. Bankruptcy is a legal way to deal with debts a person can't pay.

Why it moves: Filings go up when more people can't keep up with their debts. Losing a job, a big bill or rising prices can cause that.

Who controls it: No one sets this number. Each family makes its own choice to file. Courts handle the cases under rules set by law.

What it means for you: More filings mean more families in this area are in money trouble. It does not tell you about your own money.

What points the other way

  • Gasoline prices across the U.S. are up 37.6% from a year ago.

How these numbers are gathered

Survey data: EIA's monthly survey of electric utilities.

Survey data: EIA's weekly survey of retail gasoline and diesel prices.

Survey data: BLS's Consumer Price Index (a survey of prices at stores).

This week's check

This week's check is complete. Each number is the latest its source has put out.

What would change it

Home power prices across the U.S. are up 3.4% from a year ago. It counts toward "Worse" when it is up more than 5.0% from a year ago. Gasoline prices across the U.S. are up 37.6% from a year ago. It counts toward "Worse" when it is up more than 25.0% from a year ago. Grocery prices across the U.S. are up 1.8% from a year ago. It counts toward "Worse" when it is up more than 4.0% from a year ago. New figures for grocery prices are due Nov. 10, 2026. New figures for gasoline prices are due Nov. 10, 2026. New figures for home power prices are due Nov. 24, 2026.

Limits
  • It reads home power, gasoline and groceries, not rent or other costs.
  • It doesn't read Better yet. That needs pay read beside prices, and we don't read pay yet.
  • A month of grocery prices was skipped in the shutdown. A year later, that month has nothing to compare with.
  • It shows change from a year ago, not how hard things are now.
The numbers we read
  • Residential electricity prices nationally: 18.16 cents per kWh in 2026-08, up 3.4% from a year earlier (17.57). August 2026
  • Regular gasoline nationally: $4.153 a gallon in the week of 2026-11-02, up 37.6% from a year earlier ($3.019). Week of Nov. 2, 2026
  • Food-at-home prices nationally in 2026-09: up 1.8% from a year earlier. September 2026

For context. Not part of the answer.

  • Household bankruptcy filings nationally in the 12 months to 2026-Q3: 594,057, up 11.4% from a year earlier (533,337). in the 12 months to 2026-Q3
Sources and methods

Method version answers-1+catalogue:13. Assessed on Nov. 9, 2026.

  • Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), food at home. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov. Retrieved 2026-10-15.

See every source and its full credit lineHow it works

Learn how this could affect you

Is my ability to earn getting stronger or weaker?

Is it getting harder to find work in my field?

Choose a field
  • Accounting
    • Job postings in your field down 4.3% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Administrative Assistance
    • Job postings in your field down 1.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Architecture
    • Job postings in your field up 4.1% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Job postings in your field up 9.4% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Aviation
    • Job postings in your field up 14.5% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Banking & Finance
    • Job postings in your field up 12.1% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Childcare
    • Job postings in your field down 9.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Civil Engineering
    • Job postings in your field up 5.4% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Cleaning & Sanitation
    • Job postings in your field up 3.3% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Community & Social Service
    • Job postings in your field down 4.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Construction
    • Job postings in your field up 5.1% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Customer Service
    • Job postings in your field down 0.1% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Data & Analytics
    • Job postings in your field up 4.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Dental
    • Job postings in your field down 12.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Driving
    • Job postings in your field down 2.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Education & Instruction
    • Job postings in your field down 8.9% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Electrical Engineering
    • Job postings in your field up 34.6% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Food Preparation & Service
    • Job postings in your field down 3.0% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Hospitality & Tourism
    • Job postings in your field down 4.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Human Resources
    • Job postings in your field up 15.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Industrial Engineering
    • Job postings in your field up 40.5% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Installation & Maintenance
    • Job postings in your field up 3.3% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Insurance
    • Job postings in your field up 4.5% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • IT Infrastructure, Operations & Support
    • Job postings in your field up 7.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • IT Systems & Solutions
    • Job postings in your field up 10.9% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Legal
    • Job postings in your field up 2.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Loading & Stocking
    • Job postings in your field up 11.0% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Logistic Support
    • Job postings in your field up 9.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Management
    • Job postings in your field up 8.6% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Marketing
    • Job postings in your field down 0.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Mechanical Engineering
    • Job postings in your field up 44.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Media & Communications
    • Job postings in your field up 6.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Medical Information
    • Job postings in your field down 5.9% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Medical Technician
    • Job postings in your field down 2.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Nursing
    • Job postings in your field down 1.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Personal Care & Home Health
    • Job postings in your field up 7.2% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Pharmacy
    • Job postings in your field up 8.4% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Physicians & Surgeons
    • Job postings in your field up 6.4% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Production & Manufacturing
    • Job postings in your field up 14.5% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Project Management
    • Job postings in your field up 16.0% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Retail
    • Job postings in your field up 4.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Sales
    • Job postings in your field up 0.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Scientific Research & Development
    • Job postings in your field up 21.5% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Security & Public Safety
    • Job postings in your field up 3.6% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Social Science
    • Job postings in your field down 7.1% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Software Development
    • Job postings in your field up 23.8% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Therapy
    • Job postings in your field up 3.0% vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Oct. 30, 2026
Explain this
Job postings in your field

What it is: This shows how the number of job ads online for your kind of work has changed in a year. It covers the whole country.

Why it moves: Companies post more ads when they need more workers. They post fewer when business slows down.

Who controls it: Companies decide how many people to hire and where to post their ads.

What it means for you: More ads in your field means more open jobs to try for. Fewer ads mean fewer jobs to try for. Job ads count open jobs, not people losing jobs.

The numbers we read
  • Job postings for Accounting nationally are down 4.3% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Administrative Assistance nationally are down 1.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Architecture nationally are up 4.1% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Arts & Entertainment nationally are up 9.4% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Aviation nationally are up 14.5% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Banking & Finance nationally are up 12.1% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Childcare nationally are down 9.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Civil Engineering nationally are up 5.4% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Cleaning & Sanitation nationally are up 3.3% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Community & Social Service nationally are down 4.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Construction nationally are up 5.1% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Customer Service nationally are down 0.1% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Data & Analytics nationally are up 4.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Dental nationally are down 12.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Driving nationally are down 2.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Education & Instruction nationally are down 8.9% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Electrical Engineering nationally are up 34.6% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Food Preparation & Service nationally are down 3.0% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Hospitality & Tourism nationally are down 4.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Human Resources nationally are up 15.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Industrial Engineering nationally are up 40.5% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Installation & Maintenance nationally are up 3.3% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Insurance nationally are up 4.5% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for IT Infrastructure, Operations & Support nationally are up 7.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for IT Systems & Solutions nationally are up 10.9% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Legal nationally are up 2.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Loading & Stocking nationally are up 11.0% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Logistic Support nationally are up 9.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Management nationally are up 8.6% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Marketing nationally are down 0.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Mechanical Engineering nationally are up 44.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Media & Communications nationally are up 6.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Medical Information nationally are down 5.9% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Medical Technician nationally are down 2.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Nursing nationally are down 1.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Personal Care & Home Health nationally are up 7.2% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Pharmacy nationally are up 8.4% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Physicians & Surgeons nationally are up 6.4% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Production & Manufacturing nationally are up 14.5% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Project Management nationally are up 16.0% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Retail nationally are up 4.7% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Sales nationally are up 0.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Scientific Research & Development nationally are up 21.5% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Security & Public Safety nationally are up 3.6% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Social Science nationally are down 7.1% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Software Development nationally are up 23.8% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
  • Job postings for Therapy nationally are up 3.0% from a year earlier (as of 2026-10-30). As of Oct. 30, 2026
Sources and methods
  • Indeed Hiring Lab, CC BY 4.0

See every source and its full credit lineHow it works

Learn how this could affect you

Questions we can't answer yet

  • Could a change disrupt my work, home or essential services?

    We can't yet tell job cuts that are planned from ones that have happened. We have no data on power or water outages.

  • What protects me, and where am I exposed?

    We don't yet have data on how many people have savings, health cover or jobless pay.

  • What changed enough to deserve attention?

    Its answer would say which changes this week deserve attention, and why.

  • How much could it matter, and when?

    We can't yet say how many people a change could reach, or when.

For your business

Are my costs eating my margin?

  • Business electricity prices up 4.3% vs. a year earlierU.S.August 2026
  • Diesel up 67.7% vs. a year earlierU.S.Week of Nov. 2, 2026
Explain this
Business electricity prices

What it is: This is the price that stores and offices pay for power.

Why it moves: It moves for the same reasons home power does. Fuel costs, new power lines and the weather all play a part.

Who controls it: In many states, a state board must say yes to what power companies charge. Buyers and sellers set fuel prices.

What it means for you: If you run a business, your power bill goes up or down with it. Businesses may pass higher costs on in what they charge.

Diesel

What it is: This is the price of a gallon of diesel at the pump. Trucks, trains, farm machines and many boats run on it.

Why it moves: Diesel is made from oil, so it costs more when oil does. It is much like the oil some homes burn for heat, so cold winters can push it up.

Who controls it: Buyers and sellers around the world set the price of oil. Each fuel station sets its own price.

What it means for you: When diesel goes up, it costs more to move trucks and the goods they carry. Shipping costs can show up in the prices of things you buy.

How these numbers are gathered

Survey data: EIA's monthly survey of electric utilities.

Survey data: EIA's weekly survey of retail gasoline and diesel prices.

The numbers we read
  • Commercial electricity prices nationally: 14.47 cents per kWh in 2026-08, up 4.3% from a year earlier (13.87). August 2026
  • Diesel nationally: $6.292 a gallon in the week of 2026-11-02, up 67.7% from a year earlier ($3.753). Week of Nov. 2, 2026

See every source and its full credit lineHow it works

Can I afford to borrow what I need?

About the same

U.S.Figures through Nov. 6, 2026

Each figure is compared with the same time a year ago.

How things stand now. This is not a forecast.

  • Ten-year Treasury yield up 0.75 points vs. a year earlierU.S.As of Nov. 6, 2026
  • Fed target rate unchanged vs. a year agoU.S.Since Sept. 17, 2026
Explain this
Ten-year Treasury yield

What it is: This is the interest the U.S. government pays when it borrows money for 10 years. People buy and sell these loans, called bonds, every day.

Why it moves: When fewer people want to buy them, the interest goes up to draw buyers in.

Who controls it: The government does not set this rate. Buyers and sellers do. The Fed sets a different rate, for short-term loans.

What it means for you: If you buy these bonds, you earn more. Rates on home loans follow this number, so if you borrow to buy a home, you likely pay more.

Fed target rate

What it is: This is the interest rate the Fed aims for when banks lend money to each other for one night. The Fed picks a range for this rate, and this number is the top of it. The Fed is the nation's main bank, the bank for other banks.

Why it moves: The Fed plans eight meetings a year to decide on it. It may raise the rate to slow down rising prices. It may lower the rate when jobs are being lost.

Who controls it: The Fed sets it. A group of the Fed's leaders votes on it at each meeting.

What it means for you: When it goes up, credit cards and other loans with rates that change can cost more. Savings accounts may pay more too. When it goes down, the opposite can happen.

What points the other way

  • The 10-year Treasury yield is up 0.75 points from a year ago.

This week's check

This week's check is complete. Each number is the latest its source has put out.

What would change it

The 10-year Treasury yield is up 0.75 points from a year ago. It counts toward "Worse" when it is up more than 0.50 points from a year ago. The Fed's target rate is unchanged from a year ago. It counts toward "Worse" when it is up more than 1.75 points from a year ago. New figures for the Fed's target rate are due Dec. 9, 2026. We have no date for new figures for the 10-year Treasury yield.

Limits
  • These are key rates, not the rate a lender offers you.
  • It doesn't read Better yet. That waits for the smallest rate cut that counts.
  • It reads the nation only.
  • It shows change from a year ago, not how hard things are now.
The numbers we read
  • The 10-year Treasury yield: 4.86% as of 2026-11-06, up 0.75 points from a year earlier (4.11%). As of Nov. 6, 2026
  • The federal funds target: 4.00% since 2026-09-17, unchanged from a year ago (4.00%). Since Sept. 17, 2026
Sources and methods

Method version answers-1+catalogue:13. Assessed on Nov. 9, 2026.

See every source and its full credit lineHow it works

Every number shows its date. Before we publish, we match each number to a fresh read of our own data.

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