June 15, 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 diferences from the lowest rate (composite 2).
The lowest composite (Composite 2: White non-Hispanic, female, 26-40, Bachelor’s+) has an underlying rate of 2.0745%. The relative-difference calculation uses these full-precision figures: (3.3546 − 2.0745) / 2.0745 = 61.7%, and (3.4383 − 2.0745) / 2.0745 = 65.7%. The displayed relative differences (61.7% vs. 65.7%) differ by 4 points, accurately reflecting the underlying gap between the two composites’ rates — even though that gap is invisible at the rate row’s display precision.