Presidents › George W. Bush
The economy under George W. Bush
25 official measures, each from the first month in office (2001) to month 48, ranked against every other administration at the same point.
| Measure | Month 1 | Latest / month 48 | Change | Rank at that point | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP Growth | −1.3% | 4.1% (m48) | +5.4 pts | #6 of 9 | Bureau of Economic Analysis |
| Real GDP | $14.2T | $15.7T (m48) | +10.5% | #6 of 9 | Bureau of Economic Analysis |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 5.4% (m48) | +1.2 pts | #4 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Labor Force Participation | 67.2% | 65.9% (m48) | −1.3 pts | #3 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Jobs Added per Month | −13K | 127K (m48) | +1076.9% | #7 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Manufacturing Jobs | 17.1M | 14.3M (m48) | −16.5% | #9 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Inflation (CPI) | 3.7% | 3.3% (m48) | −0.4 pts | #5 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Core Inflation | 2.6% | 2.3% (m48) | −0.3 pts | #3 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Gas Prices | $1.43 | $1.80 (m48) | +25.9% | #3 of 5 | Energy Information Administration |
| Real Wages | −0.3% | 0.0% (m48) | +0.3 pts | #5 of 8 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Purchasing Power of the Dollar | $20.33 | $18.62 (m48) | −8.4% | #3 of 9 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Federal Funds Rate | 6.0% | 2.2% (m48) | −3.8 pts | #3 of 9 | Federal Reserve |
| Debt-to-GDP | 55.1% | 60.6% (m48) | +5.5 pts | #4 of 9 | U.S. Treasury and OMB |
| Trade Balance | −$34B | −$54B (m48) | −58.7% | #4 of 5 | Census Bureau and BEA |
| 30-Year Mortgage Rate | 7.1% | 5.8% (m48) | −1.3 pts | #3 of 9 | Freddie Mac |
| Housing Starts | 1,600K | 2,042K (m48) | +27.6% | #2 of 9 | Census Bureau |
| Retail Sales | $273B | $325B (m48) | +19.0% | #4 of 5 | Census Bureau |
| Job Openings | 5.2M | 4.1M (m48) | −22.2% | #3 of 4 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Job Openings per Job Seeker | 0.87× | 0.51× (m48) | −41.4% | #3 of 4 | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Personal Saving Rate | 4.5% | 6.2% (m48) | +1.7 pts | #7 of 9 | Bureau of Economic Analysis |
| Consumer Sentiment | 94.7 | 97.1 (m48) | +2.5% | #1 of 9 | University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers |
| 10-Year Treasury Yield | 5.2% | 4.2% (m48) | −0.9 pts | #3 of 9 | Federal Reserve |
| 5-Year Treasury Yield | 4.9% | 3.6% (m48) | −1.3 pts | #3 of 9 | Federal Reserve |
| Yield Curve (10Y–2Y) | 0.40 pts | 1.22 pts (m48) | +0.8 pts | #4 of 8 | Federal Reserve |
| Federal Budget Balance | $269B | −$399B (m48) | −248.3% | #4 of 7 | U.S. Treasury |
Other presidents: Richard Nixon · Jimmy Carter · Ronald Reagan · George H. W. Bush · Bill Clinton · Barack Obama · Donald Trump (first term) · Joe Biden · Donald Trump (second term)