On the Records: Tracking Unemployment

Earlier this year, Google unveiled a cool new tool for visualizing public information.

The company created interactive charts that display unemployment statistics, carbon dioxide emissions, and life expectancy rates, among many other public data sets.

The unemployment feature is particularly interesting in the context of the national economy and the governor's race. It allows users to compare rates by state and even specific counties. This chart shows how Texas' unemployment rate compares the country as a whole, for example.

We've been crunching these Texas unemployment numbers in more detail, and we're planning some stories soon. Let us know what you find.