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Since 1998, the US has seen population growth, US stock growth, and a return to the Clinton-era low unemployment rate.
On the pop-culture front in 1998: The Titanic was the top grossing film, Lauryn Hill was at the top of the Billboard 100 in November, and iPhones were yet to come into existence.
Total US population has increased by over 50,000 people.
In 1998, the total US population was 275 million people. As of September 2019, it was 330 million people.
The labor market is about as strong now as it was during 1998.
The employment rate in 1998 was 4.6%. after spiking around the 2008 recession, it's fallen back down to 3.6% as of October 2019.
Stocks are up a grand total of 217% from the start of 1998.
The S&P 500 index, which tracks against the 500 largest public US companies, hovered around 1,000 in 1998. As of November 2019, it's around 3,000.
The top grossing film in the US in 1998 was "Titanic" — in 2019, it's "Avengers: Endgame."
"Titanic," distributed by Paramount Pictures, grossed over $488 million in 1998. "Avengers: Endgame" distributed by Walt Disney Studios has grossed over $858 million as of November 2019.
The top six highest grossing films of 2019 were distributed by Disney.
Some fashion trends have come full circle since 1998, while some beauty trends have been left behind.
According to Ana Colón and Adrianna Cicinelli at Glamour, the fashion trends that dominated 1998 — and which we're currently seeing resurrected — include minidresses, strappy sandals, logos, micro floral prints, tiny sunglasses, feathered trim, micro bags, mini skirt suits, and flowy white blouses.
Britney Spears' music video for "Hit Me Baby One More Time" was released in 1998, and Spears' iconic miniskirt and knee socks influenced fashion, according to Caroline Grosso at W Magazine.
What's out of vogue from 1998: thin eyebrows and mismatched lip liner.
The Billboard top 100 song of the week of November 13, 1998 was "Doo Wop (That Thing) by Lauryn Hill — the same week in 2019, it's "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi.
Finally, phones were still chunky landlines in 1998.
The first iPhone still would not be released for another nine years, in 2007.
