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The Data Point

Explaining the news through maps, charts and more.

Latest stories

Labor force participation is back to pre-pandemic levels

Women are at the forefront of the recovery, according to the latest jobs data.
A line chart showing labor force participation among adults 25 to 54 years old. In 2015, about 81% of that age group worked; by February 2020 that number had increased to 83%. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the figure sharply declined to less than 79.9% and since then it has jaggedly clawed its way back to 83.1%, where it stood in February 2023.
A line chart showing labor force participation among adults 25 to 54 years old. In 2015, about 81% of that age group worked; by February 2020 that number had increased to 83%. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the figure sharply declined to less than 79.9% and since then it has jaggedly clawed its way back to 83.1%, where it stood in February 2023.

The new Congress is the third oldest since 1789

The average age of Congress has been climbing since the early 1980s.
The first day of the 118th Congress in the House Chamber  on Jan. 3, 2023.
The first day of the 118th Congress in the House Chamber  on Jan. 3, 2023.

Elon Musk is growing a social network. Just not the one he wants.

New sign-ups have spiked several times on Twitter alternative Mastodon since Musk bought Twitter in October.
The Mastodon website on a smartphone in the Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 7, 2022.
The Mastodon website on a smartphone in the Brooklyn, N.Y., on Nov. 7, 2022.

Map: Track Covid-19 death hot spots

The omicron variant sent Covid-related deaths above 2,000 per day for weeks.
A map showing where Covid deaths are increasing and decreasing
A map showing where Covid deaths are increasing and decreasing

Maps: Track hospital stress levels in your state

Higher numbers of Covid patients limit the ability of hospitals to provide a full range of services.

Liz Truss' short tenure as U.K. prime minister, in one chart

Truss will be the shortest-serving prime minister in U.K. history.
Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote address on at the annual Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, England
Britain's Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers her keynote address on at the annual Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, England

See the unusual places where monkeypox cases have popped up this month

Four times as many countries outside Africa have reported monkeypox this month as have in the previous 50 years.
A world map that shows which countries have reported confirmed cases of monkeypox in May 2022.
A world map that shows which countries have reported confirmed cases of monkeypox in May 2022.

Chart: Baby formula supply has been dwindling for months

Formula availability in stores tanked in March after the recall of major brands, data from NielsenIQ shows.
Infant formula is stacked on a table during a drive to help with the shortage on May 14, 2022, in Houston.
Infant formula is stacked on a table during a drive to help with the shortage on May 14, 2022, in Houston.

Map: See which states use solar panels the most

More than 3 million households and businesses have connected their solar panels to the grid, but fights over pricing stymie growth.

Have we reached the end of the remote work era? Here's what the data shows.

Less than 10 percent reported working remotely in April, down from more than 35 percent near the start of the pandemic.
People commute through the Penn Station
People commute through the Penn Station