Federal Reserve Economic Data

Table Data - Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions: Activity Index in Federal Reserve District 7: Chicago

Title Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions: Activity Index in Federal Reserve District 7: Chicago
Series ID CFSBCACTIVITY
Source Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
Release Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions
Seasonal Adjustment Not Seasonally Adjusted
Frequency Monthly
Units Index
Date Range 2013-02-01 to 2025-12-01
Last Updated 2025-12-22 9:05 AM CST
Notes What is the Survey of Economic Conditions?
Contacts located in the Seventh Federal Reserve District are asked to rate various aspects of economic conditions along a seven-point scale ranging from "large increase" to "large decrease." A series of diffusion indexes summarizing the distribution of responses is then calculated.

How are the indexes constructed?
Respondents' answers on the seven-point scale are assigned a numeric value ranging from +3 to –3. Each diffusion index is calculated as the difference between the number of respondents with answers above their respective average responses and the number of respondents with answers below their respective average responses, divided by the total number of respondents. The index is then multiplied by 100 so that it ranges from +100 to −100 and will be +100 if every respondent provides an above-average answer and –100 if every respondent provides a below-average answer. Respondents with no prior history of responses are excluded from the calculation.

What do the numbers mean?
Respondents' respective average answers to a question can be interpreted as representing their historical trends, or long-run averages. Thus, zero index values indicate, on balance, average growth (or a neutral outlook) for activity, hiring, capital spending, and cost pressures. Positive index values indicate above-average growth (or an optimistic outlook) on balance, and negative values indicate below-average growth (or a pessimistic outlook) on balance.

Beginning with the May 12, 2020 release, the CFSEC moved to a monthly release schedule. This release, with data for April 2020, now contains estimated monthly historical values for the CFSEC indexes, as will all future releases. For additional information on how the survey and indexes changed, see the CFSEC FAQs available here.

Prior to April 2022, the Chicago Fed Survey of Economic Conditions was named the Chicago Fed Survey of Business Conditions (CFSBC). The name change was made to better represent the survey’s aim and base of respondents. The goal of the survey is to assess the state of the economy in the Seventh Federal Reserve District. Moreover, since the beginning of the survey, it was been filled out by both business and nonbusiness contacts.
DATE VALUE
2013-02-01 16.3934421539306640
2013-03-01 7.9498882293701170
2013-04-01 -1.0416666269302368
2013-05-01 -9.3750000000000000
2013-06-01 4.5721392631530760
2013-07-01 17.2371234893798830
2013-08-01 29.4642868041992200
2013-09-01 4.2875533103942870
2013-10-01 -10.7052879333496100
2013-11-01 -16.5137615203857420
2013-12-01 2.0821700096130370
2014-01-01 -1.6262717247009277
2014-02-01 -29.7872333526611330
2014-03-01 -3.1514701843261720
2014-04-01 24.0034236907959000
2014-05-01 47.8723411560058600
2014-06-01 39.6312065124511700
2014-07-01 42.9242553710937500
2014-08-01 57.9710159301757800
2014-09-01 50.5570831298828100
2014-10-01 45.1467437744140600
2014-11-01 41.3793106079101560
2014-12-01 37.4107055664062500
2015-01-01 30.4741287231445300
2015-02-01 20.5128211975097660
2015-03-01 17.3864803314209000
2015-04-01 22.0541343688964840
2015-05-01 34.9624061584472660
2015-06-01 22.8138275146484380
2015-07-01 17.0031051635742200
2015-08-01 17.1428585052490230
2015-09-01 14.9342346191406250
2015-10-01 10.1175012588500980
2015-11-01 2.3715415000915527
2015-12-01 4.9729866981506350
2016-01-01 3.6672203540802000
2016-02-01 -1.8987340927124023
2016-03-01 16.2124462127685550
2016-04-01 18.4192466735839840
2016-05-01 2.8481011390686035
2016-06-01 -2.3965001106262207
2016-07-01 -3.6524062156677246
2016-08-01 -1.0033445358276367
2016-09-01 8.0386400222778320
2016-10-01 6.0755743980407715
2016-11-01 -7.0234117507934570
2016-12-01 -5.1230926513671875
2017-01-01 1.0543152093887330
2017-02-01 11.7263841629028320
2017-03-01 24.6958827972412100
2017-04-01 25.7236194610595700
2017-05-01 12.9568099975585940
2017-06-01 12.9859161376953120
2017-07-01 9.8203582763671880
2017-08-01 3.2490973472595215
2017-09-01 9.3576707839965820
2017-10-01 12.1648263931274410
2017-11-01 11.8577070236206050
2017-12-01 31.3391971588134770
2018-01-01 40.5862617492675800
2018-02-01 38.2239379882812500
2018-03-01 37.1081695556640600
2018-04-01 37.7591018676757800
2018-05-01 40.3361320495605500
2018-06-01 27.0428981781005860
2018-07-01 22.3167781829834000
2018-08-01 25.8426971435546880
2018-09-01 15.9656543731689450
2018-10-01 12.2941226959228520
2018-11-01 14.5833330154418950
2018-12-01 11.5725355148315430
2019-01-01 9.8499612808227540
2019-02-01 9.6085414886474610
2019-03-01 5.5394697189331055
2019-04-01 1.7818462848663330
2019-05-01 -1.0830324888229370
2019-06-01 -8.4108190536499020
2019-07-01 -11.6674747467041020
2019-08-01 -11.0701103210449220
2019-09-01 -5.0748467445373535
2019-10-01 -1.1118655204772950
2019-11-01 1.0830324888229370
2019-12-01 1.8313699960708618
2020-01-01 6.0709071159362790
2020-02-01 14.0077829360961910
2020-03-01 -23.1282005310058600
2020-04-01 -65.2173919677734400
2020-05-01 -55.1659660339355500
2020-06-01 -21.4306640625000000
2020-07-01 3.4495494365692140
2020-08-01 11.5252141952514650
2020-09-01 15.0725231170654300
2020-10-01 2.5262727737426760
2020-11-01 -7.1826205253601070
2020-12-01 -12.7573328018188480
2021-01-01 -7.7538647651672360
2021-02-01 4.9495744705200195
2021-03-01 19.3303699493408200
2021-04-01 39.5727615356445300
2021-05-01 42.0055694580078100
2021-06-01 41.0491485595703100
2021-07-01 33.3530998229980500
2021-08-01 18.3128242492675780
2021-09-01 16.2328033447265620
2021-10-01 23.5070323944091800
2021-11-01 12.9826927185058600
2021-12-01 -1.1774808168411255
2022-01-01 -1.1659542322158813
2022-02-01 11.4541254043579100
2022-03-01 24.3373413085937500
2022-04-01 6.4671959877014160
2022-05-01 -3.9028737545013428
2022-06-01 -9.1130332946777340
2022-07-01 -29.9841976165771500
2022-08-01 -26.3562526702880860
2022-09-01 -23.2362823486328120
2022-10-01 -21.8431663513183600
2022-11-01 -21.4595031738281250
2022-12-01 -32.3076934814453100
2023-01-01 -9.7122306823730470
2023-02-01 1.0238908529281616
2023-03-01 -5.1194539070129395
2023-04-01 -34.6153831481933600
2023-05-01 -21.1267604827880860
2023-06-01 -40.9090881347656250
2023-07-01 -21.1267604827880860
2023-08-01 -12.6760568618774410
2023-09-01 -18.1494674682617200
2023-10-01 -37.3584899902343750
2023-11-01 -30.9523811340332030
2023-12-01 -13.4146337509155270
2024-01-01 9.3750000000000000
2024-02-01 -4.6153845787048340
2024-03-01 2.4291496276855470
2024-04-01 -1.3157894611358643
2024-05-01 1.3452913761138916
2024-06-01 -13.6986303329467770
2024-07-01 -5.1724138259887695
2024-08-01 0.0000000000000000
2024-09-01 -15.7894735336303710
2024-10-01 -8.8983049392700200
2024-11-01 0.0000000000000000
2024-12-01 11.9469022750854500
2025-01-01 -1.3157894611358643
2025-02-01 -1.2244898080825806
2025-03-01 0.0000000000000000
2025-04-01 -10.8870973587036130
2025-05-01 3.7815124988555910
2025-06-01 -1.3157894611358643
2025-07-01 -17.5675678253173830
2025-08-01 0.0000000000000000
2025-09-01 -8.2191781997680660
2025-10-01 17.2566356658935550
2025-11-01 -1.2987012863159180
2025-12-01 -11.4649677276611330

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