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Everything you need to know about a government shutdown

Congress avoided a government shutdown over the weekend by passing a bill to fund the government until mid-November. USAFacts answers your questions about the process, including how many times the government has shut down, who it affects when, and more.

• Before the 1980s, agencies would operate as normal during a shutdown with the expectation that funding would resume in the future. Since the federal government established the basis for shutdowns in 1982, funding gaps have led to full or partial shutdowns more frequently.

  
  

• Non-essential federal employees can be furloughed until Congress approves funding to resume operations. Furloughed employees generally receive back pay when the shutdown ends.

What about Medicare and Medicaid coverage, passport services, national parks, unemployment benefits, and other governmental operations? Get the answers here.

How many cars are built in the US?

United Auto Workers are on strike against the big three automakers: General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (Chrysler’s parent company). Last year, the auto industry employed over 4.3 million people, making up 1.7% of all jobs nationwide. Which states have the most people working in the industry and how many cars are made in the US? Here are the recent numbers for a snapshot of the industry.

• About 16 to 17 million vehicles are normally made in the US each year. In 2020, that dropped to 13.72 million.

• SUV production has grown since 2009, when producers made 2.3 million SUVs. They were the most produced type of vehicle in 2020 — 7.1 million — comprising 52% of all vehicles made that year. Vans accounted for 3% (400,000 vehicles).

• Employment in almost all areas of the auto industry grew from June 2022 to June 2023, including 50,200 more jobs in motor vehicle manufacturing and 39,100 more in automotive repair and maintenance. Employment in vehicle bodies and trailer manufacturing fell by 11,300.

• Michigan had more people working in the auto manufacturing industry than any other state in 2022, with 43,800 people in vehicle manufacturing and 123,000 in parts manufacturing. Indiana has the second most, with 56,800 people in parts and 51,400 in bodies and trailer manufacturing.

  
  

Get the full story on vehicles built in the United States.

States with the highest inflation rates

Inflation has been a consistent part of the national economic conversation for the past three years, with rates hitting levels not seen since the early 1980s. Despite this, not everyone is feeling inflation in the same way.  Recent data from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) shows inflation rates vary across regions and cities.

• The national inflation rate reached a recent peak of 8.9% in June 2022. As of last summer, the rate was the lowest since March 2021. Still, prices remain 3.3% higher year over year.

• Inflation varies by regions set by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The South Atlantic region, ranging from West Virginia to Florida, had the highest annual increase in consumer prices at 3.8%. It rose by 3.6% in the East South Central region — which includes Kentucky and Mississippi — the second biggest increase.

• The BLS provides inflation data for 23 metropolitan areas. Miami had the biggest rise from June 2022 and June 2023: 6.9%. Conversely, consumer prices dropped 3.3% in Alaskan urban areas — the lone decrease in the BLS CPI data.
  

• Inflation rates in cities such as Chicago and Houston, plus areas like urban Hawaii, and Washington, DC, have been close to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate.

Get the data on how inflation has hit certain US cities at USAFacts.org.

Data behind the news

New Orleans is facing a drinking water emergency due to low water levels in the Mississippi River and encroaching salt water from the Gulf of Mexico. USAFacts recently looked into the states that need to improve their infrastructure to provide safe water. Read the report here, then see historical data on cities with unhealthy drinking water.

The Supreme Court starts its new term today. To appear before the Court, a case must land on one of two dockets: the merits docket or the emergency docket. This is also known as the shadow docket. Here’s how it works.

Put yourself to the test with the weekly fact quiz.

One last fact

The CDC defines the general fertility rate as the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15–44. The nation’s fertility rate has generally declined since 1957. Then, there were 122.9 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Preliminary data shows the 2022 rate had fallen to 56.1. Rates rose in North Dakota and Louisiana between 2005 and 2021. North Dakota’s rate rose 2.93%, while Louisiana’s rose 1.13%.