Joey Politano🏳️🌈
@josephpolitano.bsky.social
Writing a data-driven newsletter about economics @ apricitas.io
Nuance? In this Economy
Full Employment Stan, Brazilian Coffee Tariff Victim |
Nuance? In this Economy
Full Employment Stan, Brazilian Coffee Tariff Victim |
Bunny has decided the corner where I keep the recycling is her new favorite place to stay. Never shown any interest in this corner until today but both times I have picked her up she’s walked right back to the corner.
December 6, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Bunny has decided the corner where I keep the recycling is her new favorite place to stay. Never shown any interest in this corner until today but both times I have picked her up she’s walked right back to the corner.
What should we name this neighborhood between Clarendon and Courthouse? Let’s call it Clarendon-Courthouse, this will surely not confuse anyone
December 5, 2025 at 11:01 PM
What should we name this neighborhood between Clarendon and Courthouse? Let’s call it Clarendon-Courthouse, this will surely not confuse anyone
Ridership on Phoenix's Valley Metro is also up more than 12% since the opening of the B line to South Phoenix this summer—October ridership was only slightly down from the post-COVID high set in September
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Ridership on Phoenix's Valley Metro is also up more than 12% since the opening of the B line to South Phoenix this summer—October ridership was only slightly down from the post-COVID high set in September
Seattle's Link Light Rail also remains one of the fastest-growing transit networks in the US, with ridership up 22% compared to last year!
Tomorrow, the network will open another southbound extension to Federal Way, increasing ridership further!
Tomorrow, the network will open another southbound extension to Federal Way, increasing ridership further!
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Seattle's Link Light Rail also remains one of the fastest-growing transit networks in the US, with ridership up 22% compared to last year!
Tomorrow, the network will open another southbound extension to Federal Way, increasing ridership further!
Tomorrow, the network will open another southbound extension to Federal Way, increasing ridership further!
Ridership on the Bay Area's Caltrain continues to rise in the wake of the route's electrification, hitting a new post-COVID high last month
Ridership through the first 10 months of 2025 is 45% higher than last year!
Ridership through the first 10 months of 2025 is 45% higher than last year!
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Ridership on the Bay Area's Caltrain continues to rise in the wake of the route's electrification, hitting a new post-COVID high last month
Ridership through the first 10 months of 2025 is 45% higher than last year!
Ridership through the first 10 months of 2025 is 45% higher than last year!
All major US urban rail networks gained ridership this year, with DC's WMATA leading the way at 20.4%. That's followed by Boston's MBTA at 13.9%, SF Muni at 10.6%, & the Bay Area's BART at 10.2%
LA Metro (.3%), San Diego's MTS (3.5%), & the NYC MTA (4.6%) have the slowest growth
LA Metro (.3%), San Diego's MTS (3.5%), & the NYC MTA (4.6%) have the slowest growth
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
All major US urban rail networks gained ridership this year, with DC's WMATA leading the way at 20.4%. That's followed by Boston's MBTA at 13.9%, SF Muni at 10.6%, & the Bay Area's BART at 10.2%
LA Metro (.3%), San Diego's MTS (3.5%), & the NYC MTA (4.6%) have the slowest growth
LA Metro (.3%), San Diego's MTS (3.5%), & the NYC MTA (4.6%) have the slowest growth
Another month of US transit data is just in, & DC's WMATA remains the fastest-growing major US transit agency, with ridership up 10% compared to last year!
King County Metro (Seattle, +7%) & SEPTA (Philly, +5.3%) have performed well, while LA Metro & NJTransit have lost riders🧵
King County Metro (Seattle, +7%) & SEPTA (Philly, +5.3%) have performed well, while LA Metro & NJTransit have lost riders🧵
December 5, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Another month of US transit data is just in, & DC's WMATA remains the fastest-growing major US transit agency, with ridership up 10% compared to last year!
King County Metro (Seattle, +7%) & SEPTA (Philly, +5.3%) have performed well, while LA Metro & NJTransit have lost riders🧵
King County Metro (Seattle, +7%) & SEPTA (Philly, +5.3%) have performed well, while LA Metro & NJTransit have lost riders🧵
Canadian Unemployment by Province:
Newfoundland & Labrador: 10.4%
Prince Edward Island: 7.7%
Ontario: 7.6%
Nova Scotia: 6.7%
New Brunswick: 6.6%
Alberta: 6.5%
British Columbia: 6.4%
Manitoba: 6.1%
Saskatchewan: 5.6%
Quebec: 5.1%
Newfoundland & Labrador: 10.4%
Prince Edward Island: 7.7%
Ontario: 7.6%
Nova Scotia: 6.7%
New Brunswick: 6.6%
Alberta: 6.5%
British Columbia: 6.4%
Manitoba: 6.1%
Saskatchewan: 5.6%
Quebec: 5.1%
December 5, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Canadian Unemployment by Province:
Newfoundland & Labrador: 10.4%
Prince Edward Island: 7.7%
Ontario: 7.6%
Nova Scotia: 6.7%
New Brunswick: 6.6%
Alberta: 6.5%
British Columbia: 6.4%
Manitoba: 6.1%
Saskatchewan: 5.6%
Quebec: 5.1%
Newfoundland & Labrador: 10.4%
Prince Edward Island: 7.7%
Ontario: 7.6%
Nova Scotia: 6.7%
New Brunswick: 6.6%
Alberta: 6.5%
British Columbia: 6.4%
Manitoba: 6.1%
Saskatchewan: 5.6%
Quebec: 5.1%
New Canadian Jobs Data came out today:
Employment Growth: +54k
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (-0.3%)
Prime Age (25-54) Employment Rate: 83.4% (-0.1%)
Employment Level: 21.1M
Employment Growth: +54k
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (-0.3%)
Prime Age (25-54) Employment Rate: 83.4% (-0.1%)
Employment Level: 21.1M
December 5, 2025 at 10:16 PM
New Canadian Jobs Data came out today:
Employment Growth: +54k
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (-0.3%)
Prime Age (25-54) Employment Rate: 83.4% (-0.1%)
Employment Level: 21.1M
Employment Growth: +54k
Unemployment Rate: 6.5% (-0.3%)
Prime Age (25-54) Employment Rate: 83.4% (-0.1%)
Employment Level: 21.1M
In terms of per-capita GDP growth, all but 5 EU countries have recovered to pre-COVID levels
Fastest: Ireland (36.3%), Croatia (24.6%), Belgium (21.9%), Poland (19.6%), Cyprus (18.3%)
Slowest: Luxembourg (-3.7%), Finland (-2.2%), Germany (-1.7%), Estonia (-1.4%), Austria (-0.8%)
Fastest: Ireland (36.3%), Croatia (24.6%), Belgium (21.9%), Poland (19.6%), Cyprus (18.3%)
Slowest: Luxembourg (-3.7%), Finland (-2.2%), Germany (-1.7%), Estonia (-1.4%), Austria (-0.8%)
December 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
In terms of per-capita GDP growth, all but 5 EU countries have recovered to pre-COVID levels
Fastest: Ireland (36.3%), Croatia (24.6%), Belgium (21.9%), Poland (19.6%), Cyprus (18.3%)
Slowest: Luxembourg (-3.7%), Finland (-2.2%), Germany (-1.7%), Estonia (-1.4%), Austria (-0.8%)
Fastest: Ireland (36.3%), Croatia (24.6%), Belgium (21.9%), Poland (19.6%), Cyprus (18.3%)
Slowest: Luxembourg (-3.7%), Finland (-2.2%), Germany (-1.7%), Estonia (-1.4%), Austria (-0.8%)
All EU countries except Germany and Finland have now recovered to pre-COVID GDP levels
Fastest: Ireland (50.2%), Malta (35.8%), Cyprus (30.1%), Croatia (22.8%), Bulgaria (18.5%)
Slowest: Germany (-0.2%), Finland (-0.0%), Estonia (2.0%), Austria (2.8%), France (5.2%)
Fastest: Ireland (50.2%), Malta (35.8%), Cyprus (30.1%), Croatia (22.8%), Bulgaria (18.5%)
Slowest: Germany (-0.2%), Finland (-0.0%), Estonia (2.0%), Austria (2.8%), France (5.2%)
December 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
All EU countries except Germany and Finland have now recovered to pre-COVID GDP levels
Fastest: Ireland (50.2%), Malta (35.8%), Cyprus (30.1%), Croatia (22.8%), Bulgaria (18.5%)
Slowest: Germany (-0.2%), Finland (-0.0%), Estonia (2.0%), Austria (2.8%), France (5.2%)
Fastest: Ireland (50.2%), Malta (35.8%), Cyprus (30.1%), Croatia (22.8%), Bulgaria (18.5%)
Slowest: Germany (-0.2%), Finland (-0.0%), Estonia (2.0%), Austria (2.8%), France (5.2%)
Q3 GDP data is in for all EU members today, and all countries except Finland have seen their economies grow over the last year
Fastest: Ireland (10.8%), Denmark (3.9%), Cyprus (3.8%), Poland(3.6%), Malta (3.0%)
Slowest: Finland (-0.6%), Germany (0.3%), France (0.5%), Hungary (0.6%), Italy (0.6%)
Fastest: Ireland (10.8%), Denmark (3.9%), Cyprus (3.8%), Poland(3.6%), Malta (3.0%)
Slowest: Finland (-0.6%), Germany (0.3%), France (0.5%), Hungary (0.6%), Italy (0.6%)
December 5, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Q3 GDP data is in for all EU members today, and all countries except Finland have seen their economies grow over the last year
Fastest: Ireland (10.8%), Denmark (3.9%), Cyprus (3.8%), Poland(3.6%), Malta (3.0%)
Slowest: Finland (-0.6%), Germany (0.3%), France (0.5%), Hungary (0.6%), Italy (0.6%)
Fastest: Ireland (10.8%), Denmark (3.9%), Cyprus (3.8%), Poland(3.6%), Malta (3.0%)
Slowest: Finland (-0.6%), Germany (0.3%), France (0.5%), Hungary (0.6%), Italy (0.6%)
losing my mind at the 25% of GOP voters who think most Italian Americans are "more loyal to a foreign country than to the United States."
December 4, 2025 at 9:00 PM
losing my mind at the 25% of GOP voters who think most Italian Americans are "more loyal to a foreign country than to the United States."
Indeed, while we do not yet have a full accounting of the labor market costs of Trump's deportation policies, we can say they are not delivering the promised benefits to native-born Americans—their employment rates are down & their unemployment rates are up over the last year.
December 2, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Indeed, while we do not yet have a full accounting of the labor market costs of Trump's deportation policies, we can say they are not delivering the promised benefits to native-born Americans—their employment rates are down & their unemployment rates are up over the last year.
Employment data are only benchmarked to population annually, so drops in immigrant respondents create a fake 1:1 rise in native-born counts until then
Trump's wrong to claim “2.5M native-born Americans [have] gained jobs”—their employment rates aren't up, the data just presumes there's more of them
Trump's wrong to claim “2.5M native-born Americans [have] gained jobs”—their employment rates aren't up, the data just presumes there's more of them
December 2, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Employment data are only benchmarked to population annually, so drops in immigrant respondents create a fake 1:1 rise in native-born counts until then
Trump's wrong to claim “2.5M native-born Americans [have] gained jobs”—their employment rates aren't up, the data just presumes there's more of them
Trump's wrong to claim “2.5M native-born Americans [have] gained jobs”—their employment rates aren't up, the data just presumes there's more of them
That's partially because the decline in immigrant counts is driven by Immigrants, especially Hispanics, avoiding government employment surveys or lying about their immigration status on them. Since the election, the % of Hispanics claiming to be immigrants has dipped to the lowest levels in decades
December 2, 2025 at 11:43 PM
That's partially because the decline in immigrant counts is driven by Immigrants, especially Hispanics, avoiding government employment surveys or lying about their immigration status on them. Since the election, the % of Hispanics claiming to be immigrants has dipped to the lowest levels in decades
The US Department of Homeland Security claims that more than 2M immigrants have left the US since Trump's inauguration, but these numbers are based on Current Population Survey data that the Census Bureau explicitly cautions should not be used to measure immigrant flows
December 2, 2025 at 11:43 PM
The US Department of Homeland Security claims that more than 2M immigrants have left the US since Trump's inauguration, but these numbers are based on Current Population Survey data that the Census Bureau explicitly cautions should not be used to measure immigrant flows
US hiring rates remain stuck at 3.2%—tied for the lowest readings since the worst of COVID—but vary dramatically from state to state
DOGE-hit DC has the lowest hiring rate at 2.1%, while Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have some of the highest hiring rates at 4.5% and above
DOGE-hit DC has the lowest hiring rate at 2.1%, while Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have some of the highest hiring rates at 4.5% and above
December 2, 2025 at 7:14 PM
US hiring rates remain stuck at 3.2%—tied for the lowest readings since the worst of COVID—but vary dramatically from state to state
DOGE-hit DC has the lowest hiring rate at 2.1%, while Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have some of the highest hiring rates at 4.5% and above
DOGE-hit DC has the lowest hiring rate at 2.1%, while Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have some of the highest hiring rates at 4.5% and above
EU and Eurozone unemployment rates held steady in data released this morning, unchanged at 6% and 6.4% respectively from last month
Malta (3.1%), Czechia (3.2%), & Poland (3.3%) had the lowest unemployment rates, while Spain (10.5%), Finland (10.3%), & Sweden (9.3%) had the highest
Malta (3.1%), Czechia (3.2%), & Poland (3.3%) had the lowest unemployment rates, while Spain (10.5%), Finland (10.3%), & Sweden (9.3%) had the highest
December 2, 2025 at 1:25 PM
EU and Eurozone unemployment rates held steady in data released this morning, unchanged at 6% and 6.4% respectively from last month
Malta (3.1%), Czechia (3.2%), & Poland (3.3%) had the lowest unemployment rates, while Spain (10.5%), Finland (10.3%), & Sweden (9.3%) had the highest
Malta (3.1%), Czechia (3.2%), & Poland (3.3%) had the lowest unemployment rates, while Spain (10.5%), Finland (10.3%), & Sweden (9.3%) had the highest
if your solutions to improve the economy are 1) subsidize homebuying (as if we don't do that already) 2) ban China from buying single-family homes (fake problem) and "fewer immigrants" you're not a rebel truth teller in the Republican party you're actually an establishment figure with no new ideas
December 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
if your solutions to improve the economy are 1) subsidize homebuying (as if we don't do that already) 2) ban China from buying single-family homes (fake problem) and "fewer immigrants" you're not a rebel truth teller in the Republican party you're actually an establishment figure with no new ideas
POV: you leave the US and visit Toronto & Montreal
November 29, 2025 at 10:45 PM
POV: you leave the US and visit Toronto & Montreal
Goodbye beautiful Toronto, Canada. Until next time!
November 29, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Goodbye beautiful Toronto, Canada. Until next time!
Solar power also continues to skyrocket in Texas, with solar generation up 40% compared to last year!
November 29, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Solar power also continues to skyrocket in Texas, with solar generation up 40% compared to last year!
Solar power made up 9.7% of US electricity this September, up from 7.6% last year
Over the last twelve months, solar has made up 8.3% of US electricity, a record high!
Over the last twelve months, solar has made up 8.3% of US electricity, a record high!
November 29, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Solar power made up 9.7% of US electricity this September, up from 7.6% last year
Over the last twelve months, solar has made up 8.3% of US electricity, a record high!
Over the last twelve months, solar has made up 8.3% of US electricity, a record high!
Official data is in this week, and US solar continues to grow rapidly, with generation up 30% compared to last year!
November 29, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Official data is in this week, and US solar continues to grow rapidly, with generation up 30% compared to last year!