09-16-2026IMPACT COUNCIL

15 leaders on the economic indicators companies should watch

Headline numbers and beyond that can signal market shifts and shape smarter decisions.

[Photo: Getty Images]

The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more.

BY Fast Company Impact Council

If you’re only focused on a few economic metrics to run your business, you may miss what’s right in front of you that can help you course correct and drive growth. Some useful economic indicators don’t show up in financial news. Others get media coverage, but leaders may overlook them thinking “that doesn’t apply to us.”

We asked members of the Fast Company Impact Council what economic indicators companies should pay more attention to. Fifteen of them weighed in with the data they think deserves more attention or a closer reading.

1. SPEED OF REGULATORY CHANGES

I believe we should focus on the speed of regulatory changes rather than traditional charts and data. In fast-paced fields like artificial intelligence and data, rules change so quickly that companies often struggle to keep up. A business might look successful today, but one new regulation can completely change what it is allowed to do. Therefore, watching regulatory trends gives you a better view of your future than looking at quarterly financial reports. Companies that pay attention to these changes early stay ahead, while others are left striving to catch up. — Denas Grybauskas, Oxylabs

The fastest growing, least managed, and most unsustainable cost for business today is healthcare. The United States spends more than $5 trillion on healthcare each year. Companies are experiencing significant cost increases with no end in sight. Employers have the power to break—not just bend—the cost curve, and they may be the only ones who do. Leveraging innovative and AI-powered benefits solutions, employers can take the power into their own hands and build a future that makes it easy for their people to access high-quality, affordable healthcare while reducing costs to their businesses. — Glen Tullman, Transcarent

3. LABOR-FORCE PARTICIPATION........

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