A survey done by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics to help measure job vacancies. It collects data from employers including retailers, manufacturers and different offices each month. Respondents to the survey answer quantitative and qualitative questions about their businesses' employment, job openings, recruitment, hires and separations. The JOLTS data is published monthly and by region and industry.

Employment change is a crucial indicator to measure the health of the overal economy. It's realeased shortly after the month ends and is a leading indcator of consumer spending which makes up the majority of overall economic activity.

The percentage of individuals in the labor force who are without a job but actively seeking one. A higher Unemployment Rate is generally a drain on the economy. Not only does it mean that resources are not being fully utilized, but it also results in lower consumer spending as there are fewer workers receiving paychecks.

Note: The unemployment rate generally moves slowly, so changes of only a few tenths of a percent are still considered significant. Also note that the unemployment rate does not account for discouraged workers. Therefore, in an economically depressed environment, such as that which occurred in Cold War era East Germany, the Unemployment Rate may not accurately reflect the extent of problems.

The Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ)Commodity Prices Indicator, also called the Commoditiy Price Index, measures the change in the price of exported commodities. Since Australia and New Zealand depend heavily upon commodity exports, this figure acts as a primary gauge of the two nations' GDP and economic strength.