Table 2
Macroeconomic performance by partisan control of the presidency, 1981–present
| Democratic | Republican | Total | Democratic advantage? | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Gross Domestic Product, % growth | (1) | 2.90 | 2.51 | 2.68 | Y |
| Real Net Domestic Product per capita, % growth | (1) | 1.86 | 1.39 | 1.59 | Y |
| Job growth, total, % | (1) | 1.92 | 0.81 | 1.31 | Y |
| Job growth, private, % | (1) | 2.17 | 0.81 | 1.41 | Y |
| Unemployment rate | (1) | 5.80 | 6.27 | 6.07 | Y |
| Unemployment rate, Black jobseekers | (1) | 10.61 | 11.85 | 11.31 | Y |
| Real wages, % growth | (1) | 0.64 | 0.28 | 0.44 | Y |
| Real business investment, % growth | (1) | 6.52 | 2.64 | 4.33 | Y |
| Real personal income excluding government transfers, % growth | (1) | 2.05 | 1.42 | 1.69 | Y |
| Inflation, all items, % | (1) | 2.11 | 2.96 | 2.59 | Y |
| Inflation less food and energy, % | (1) | 2.08 | 3.06 | 2.63 | Y |
| Federal funds rate | (1) | 2.69 | 5.10 | 4.05 | Y |
1 = available all years
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