Inflation Data Coverage Checker
Flag unavailable periods and incompatible series.
Inflation Data Coverage Checker: Scenario Inputs
Annual percentage rate or benchmark index change.
Inflation & Purchasing Power Analysis
Over 3 years at 3.5% inflation, a $75,000 salary requires $83,154 to retain equal purchasing power. Without matching raises, your real compensation experiences an effective reduction of $7,355 (-9.81%).
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How Inflation Data Coverage Checker Works?
The Inflation Data Coverage Checker tests the dates and index series you request. It compares them with a catalog of publication rules to find gaps.
Enter dates and series
List the periods and indexes your calculation needs.
Check start dates
The checker flags dates before a series begins.
Check frequency
The checker flags months a series does not publish, such as odd months for bimonthly metro data.
Check compatibility
The checker warns when 2 values come from series with different bases or methods.
Inflation Data Coverage Checker Formula
The Inflation Data Coverage Checker applies 3 logical tests to each requested value.
Valid if Date ≥ Series Start
Valid if Month ∈ Published Months
Valid if BaseA = BaseB and SeriesA = SeriesB
Variables
- Series Start
- First published period of the series
- Published Months
- Months the series publishes values
Worked example
A request for chained CPI in June 1995 fails the start test, since C-CPI-U begins in December 1999. The checker flags the date and suggests CPI-U as the nearest available series.
Inflation Data Coverage Checker Conversion Table
This table lists coverage rules for 6 common series.
| Series | Frequency | Data begins | Coverage note |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPI-U (U.S. city average) | Monthly | January 1913 | Yes |
| CPI-W (U.S. city average) | Monthly | January 1913 | Yes |
| Chained CPI (C-CPI-U) | Monthly | December 1999 | Preliminary for recent months |
| PCE price index | Monthly | January 1959 | Revised with GDP updates |
| Mid-size metro CPI | Every 2 months | Varies by area | Odd or even months only |
| Employment Cost Index (ECI) | Quarterly | 1975 (wages and salaries) | March, June, September and December only |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis publication schedules.
What is Inflation Data Coverage Checker?
The Inflation Data Coverage Checker is a tool that flags periods where an index has no published value and pairs of series that should not be mixed. The checker runs before a calculation, so errors are caught early.
The checker covers 3 problems: dates before a series starts, months a series skips, and comparisons between series with different bases.
What are the uses of Inflation Data Coverage Checker?
There are 4 main uses of the Inflation Data Coverage Checker.
Prevent bad results
Stop calculations that use missing or mismatched data.
Plan research
See which series cover the years a study needs.
Check contracts
Confirm the index named in a contract publishes the months it needs.
Explain gaps
Tell users why a month or region has no value.
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