1step,rule,n_before,n_after,n_removed,rationale2h1_1,"origin 2026-04-01, h=1: keep rows with target month <= t-2 (2026-02-01) (information rule)",345,338,7,targets after t-2 not yet published at origin (includes 2 rows with empty GDP)3h1_2,drop rows whose lagged regressors fall before 1998-01 (not in file),338,335,3,lagged regressors unavailable4h1_3,drop rows whose target or regressor months fall in 2020-03..2021-12,335,310,25,pre-specified COVID outlier exclusion; extreme swings would dominate OLS5h3_1,"origin 2026-04-01, h=3: keep rows with target month <= t-2 (2026-02-01) (information rule)",345,338,7,targets after t-2 not yet published at origin (includes 2 rows with empty GDP)6h3_2,drop rows whose lagged regressors fall before 1998-01 (not in file),338,333,5,lagged regressors unavailable7h3_3,drop rows whose target or regressor months fall in 2020-03..2021-12,333,306,27,pre-specified COVID outlier exclusion; extreme swings would dominate OLS8