Fix Clip-n-Save: 2011 Economic Indicators

Perhaps no single factor looks to play a bigger role in the campaigns of 2012 (and 2011) than the state of the economy.

Congressional Republicans have made it the centerpiece of their "Pledge to America" governing agenda, Democrats have argued that it was one of the main reasons for their defeat at the ballot box last month and President Obama mentioned that a better economy was one of the top items on his Christmas wish list this year.

With so much of what happens politically next year riding on what happens economically, we at The Fix bring you our roundup of the top economic indicators to keep an eye on -- and the dates to watch for them -- in 2011.

(All of the following indicators can be found on the Web sites of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of Economic Analysis; they're released at 8:30 a.m. on the dates listed below.)

January 2011

Jan. 7 -- Unemployment rate (December 2010)
Jan. 25 -- Regional and state unemployment (December 2010)
Jan. 28 -- GDP (advance estimate, annual/4th quarter 2010)

February 2011

Feb. 4 -- Unemployment rate (January 2011)
Feb. 25 -- GDP (second estimate, annual/4th quarter 2010)

March 2011

March 4 -- Unemployment rate (February 2011)
March 10 -- Regional and state unemployment (January 2011)
March 25 -- Regional and state unemployment (February 2011)
March 25 -- GDP (third estimate, annual/4th quarter 2010)

April 2011

April 1 -- Unemployment rate (March 2011)
April 19 -- Regional and state unemployment (March 2011)
April 28 -- GDP (advance estimate, 1st quarter 2011)

May 2011

May 6 -- Unemployment rate (April 2011)
May 20 -- Regional and state unemployment (April 2011)
May 26 -- GDP (second estimate, 1st quarter 2011)

June 2011

June 3 -- Unemployment rate (May 2011)
June 17 -- Regional and state unemployment (May 2011)
June 24 -- GDP (third estimate, 1st quarter 2011)

July 2011

July 8 -- Unemployment rate (June 2011)
July 22 -- Regional and state unemployment (June 2011)
July 29 -- GDP (advance estimate, 2nd quarter 2011)

August 2011

Aug. 5 -- Unemployment rate (July 2011)
Aug. 19 -- Regional and state unemployment (July 2011)
Aug. 26 -- GDP (second estimate, 2nd quarter 2011)

September 2011

Sept. 2 -- Unemployment rate (August 2011)
Sept. 16 -- Regional and state unemployment (August 2011)
Sept. 29 -- GDP (third estimate, 2nd quarter 2011)

October 2011

Oct. 7 -- Unemployment rate (September 2011)
Oct. 21 -- Regional and state unemployment (September 2011)
Oct. 27 -- GDP (advance estimate, 3rd quarter 2011)

November 2011

Nov. 4 -- Unemployment rate (October 2011)
Nov. 22 -- Regional and state unemployment (October 2011)
Nov. 23 -- GDP (second estimate, 3rd quarter 2011)

December 2011

Dec. 2 -- Unemployment rate (November 2011)
Dec. 20 -- Regional and state unemployment (November 2011)
Dec. 22 -- GDP (third estimate, 3rd quarter 2011)