July 16, 2026 — Here’s a set of four composites drawn from the latest data on 12-month average unemployment. [Return to the main viz page.]
You’ll notice that composites 3 and 4 appear to have the same unemployment rate but different relative differences from the lowest rate (composite 2).
The lowest composite (Composite 2: White non-Hispanic, male, 41-54, Bachelor’s+) has an underlying rate of 2.0410%. The relative-difference calculation uses these full-precision figures: (2.5453 − 2.0410) / 2.0410 = 24.7%, and (2.4501 − 2.0410) / 2.0410 = 20.0%. The displayed relative differences (24.7% vs. 20.0%) differ by 4.7 points, accurately reflecting the underlying gap between the two composites’ rates — even though that gap is invisible at the rate row’s display precision.