Numbers

Each kind of value, from a count of work permits to the date of an interview, is written one way: in the reader's language, with digits that line up.

The reader's language

Numbers follow the language the person chose in WerkOS, on boards, charts and reports alike. English groups thousands with a comma, Croatian and Serbian with a full stop, and the decimal mark changes with them.

Digits stay Latin in each language, and a negative value takes the true minus sign, which is as wide as a digit and keeps a column straight.

The same three values in English, Croatian and Serbian
Language	Count	Percent	Change
English	1,247,000	8.4%	−3.2%
Croatian	1.247.000	8,4 %	−3,2 %
Serbian	1.247.000	8,4%	−3,2%

Each kind of value

Choose the kind first and the format follows.

Count: A whole number, grouped by the language. Negative only in a column that allows a sign.; 1,247,000
Money: Digits, then the currency code after a space. Whole units outside the board grid. In a table the code moves to the header.; 3,450 EUR
Percent: One decimal under 10, whole numbers from 10. A tiny value above zero reads under 0.1%. In a table column, each figure takes the decimals the column needs.; 8.4%, 100%, under 0.1%
Change in a percentage: In points, one decimal, signed unless zero. The header says points.; +2.4 and −1.3 points
Change: A plus or a minus sign, in the unit of the value.; +12 and −3
Large values: From 10,000, shortened with k, m and bn on chart axes only. Labels, tiles and tables print the full figure.; 149k, 1.25m
Year: Not grouped.; 2025
Range: The low and the high joined by to, with the unit once at the end.; 120,000 to 150,000
Rank: The position and the total joined by of, with its interval in reports. No ordinals.; 3 of 53, interval 2 to 6
Duration: Hours and minutes, as in 2h 30m. A running timer shows 02:30:09.; 2h 30m, 02:30:09
Date: Day, short month and year, as in 28 Jun 2026. Dense cells drop the current year.; 28 Jun 2026, 28 Jun
Missing: n/a and its reason in reports and charts. A blank cell on a board.; n/a, closed

Signs and changes

A change shows its sign: a plus for a rise, a true minus for a fall, nothing for zero. Negative numbers keep the normal ink. Color may add a judgment, such as a fall that is good news, but the sign alone tells the direction.

Offers accepted48+12% on last month
No show rate14%+3.0 points on last month
Interviews held38+6 on last week

Table 1. Work permits issued and their change
Market	Work permits issued, 2026	Change on 2025
Serbia	9,400	+1,200
Bosnia and Herzegovina	7,100	−340
North Macedonia	4,600	0

Table 1. Work permits issued and their change

Serbia

Work permits issued, 2026: 9,400
Change on 2025: +1,200

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Work permits issued, 2026: 7,100
Change on 2025: −340

North Macedonia

Work permits issued, 2026: 4,600
Change on 2025: 0

Source: Werklist, example figures.

Minus: U+2212
Plus: U+002B, on changes only
Good change: success ink; --success-ink
Bad change: error ink; --error-ink

Digits that line up

Wherever numbers stand above each other, use tabular digits so each digit takes the same width. In running text the normal digits read better.

111,111
9,480
71,017
1,203
48,888
11

Proportional

111,111
9,480
71,017
1,203
48,888
11

Tabular

Tabular digits: font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums
In a board cell: 14 px, weight 400; --text
In a report table: 8.5 pt on paper, 13 px on screen; --text

Missing, zero and too few

Zero is a value and prints as 0. A figure that does not exist prints n/a, and a report adds the reason when the column has room: closed, unpublished, out of scope, not collected or pending.

On a board, a blank cell means nobody has filled it in yet. A rate built on fewer than 5 observations is not printed as a number. Its reason takes the place of the figure.

Permitted and not permitted

Permitted

Write the currency as its code after the figure
EUR, not the euro sign.
Shorten large numbers on chart axes
Label the marks themselves in full.

Not permitted

Wrap a negative number in parentheses
Use the minus sign.
Type a figure into copy that the data can change
It goes stale with the next update. Compute it.
Write a date in figures only
A date like 6/7 means June to some readers and July to others.

NextCharts

Numbers

How WerkOS writes counts, money, percentages, changes, durations and dates: one format per kind of value, in the reader's language.

Kind: data
Page: https://design.werklist.com/data/numbers
Version: 2.1.2

Rules

Language: numbers follow the language the person chose in WerkOS (English, Croatian or Serbian), never the browser's. Serbian is written in Latin script and digits are always Latin
Grouping: English groups thousands with a comma, Croatian and Serbian with a full stop, and the decimal mark changes with them
Count: a whole number, grouped. Negative only in a column that allows a sign
Money: the digits, a no break space, then the currency code, as in 3,450 EUR. Whole units in tiles, charts and reports, the column's own decimals on a board. In a table the code goes in the header
Percent: one decimal under 10, whole numbers from 10. A value above zero but under 0.1 prints as under 0.1%. In a table column every figure shares the column's decimals
Change in a percentage: in points, one decimal, signed unless zero. The header says points
Change: a plus or a true minus sign, in the unit of the value
Large values: from 10,000, shortened with k, m or bn on chart axes only, with two decimals under 10, one under 100 and none above (1.25m, 149k). Labels, tiles and tables print the full figure
Year: never grouped
Range: the low and the high joined by to, the unit once at the end. A range across zero shows both signs
Rank: the position and the total joined by of, as in 3 of 53, with its interval in reports. Never an ordinal
Duration: hours and minutes, as in 2h 30m. A running timer shows 02:30:09
Date: day, short month and year, as in 28 Jun 2026, with month names in the reader's language. Dense cells drop the current year. Never a date in figures only
Missing: n/a with its reason (closed, unpublished, out of scope, not collected, pending) in reports and charts. On a board a blank cell means nobody has filled it. Zero prints 0
Minus: U+2212 in every language, never parentheses, never red
Tabular digits (font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums) wherever numbers stand above each other. Normal digits in running text
A rate built on fewer than 5 observations prints its reason, not a number
A figure the data can change is computed, never typed into copy
In an accessible name a duration spells its units (2 hours 30 minutes) and a date its full month

Tokens

--text
--text-muted
--success-ink
--error-ink

JSON

{
  "title": "Numbers",
  "path": "/data/numbers",
  "url": "https://design.werklist.com/data/numbers",
  "text": "https://design.werklist.com/agent/data/numbers",
  "summary": "How WerkOS writes counts, money, percentages, changes, durations and dates in the reader's language.",
  "version": "2.1.2",
  "kind": "data",
  "name": "Numbers",
  "purpose": "How WerkOS writes counts, money, percentages, changes, durations and dates: one format per kind of value, in the reader's language.",
  "rules": [
    "Language: numbers follow the language the person chose in WerkOS (English, Croatian or Serbian), never the browser's. Serbian is written in Latin script and digits are always Latin",
    "Grouping: English groups thousands with a comma, Croatian and Serbian with a full stop, and the decimal mark changes with them",
    "Count: a whole number, grouped. Negative only in a column that allows a sign",
    "Money: the digits, a no break space, then the currency code, as in 3,450 EUR. Whole units in tiles, charts and reports, the column's own decimals on a board. In a table the code goes in the header",
    "Percent: one decimal under 10, whole numbers from 10. A value above zero but under 0.1 prints as under 0.1%. In a table column every figure shares the column's decimals",
    "Change in a percentage: in points, one decimal, signed unless zero. The header says points",
    "Change: a plus or a true minus sign, in the unit of the value",
    "Large values: from 10,000, shortened with k, m or bn on chart axes only, with two decimals under 10, one under 100 and none above (1.25m, 149k). Labels, tiles and tables print the full figure",
    "Year: never grouped",
    "Range: the low and the high joined by to, the unit once at the end. A range across zero shows both signs",
    "Rank: the position and the total joined by of, as in 3 of 53, with its interval in reports. Never an ordinal",
    "Duration: hours and minutes, as in 2h 30m. A running timer shows 02:30:09",
    "Date: day, short month and year, as in 28 Jun 2026, with month names in the reader's language. Dense cells drop the current year. Never a date in figures only",
    "Missing: n/a with its reason (closed, unpublished, out of scope, not collected, pending) in reports and charts. On a board a blank cell means nobody has filled it. Zero prints 0",
    "Minus: U+2212 in every language, never parentheses, never red",
    "Tabular digits (font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums) wherever numbers stand above each other. Normal digits in running text",
    "A rate built on fewer than 5 observations prints its reason, not a number",
    "A figure the data can change is computed, never typed into copy",
    "In an accessible name a duration spells its units (2 hours 30 minutes) and a date its full month"
  ],
  "tokens": [
    "--text",
    "--text-muted",
    "--success-ink",
    "--error-ink"
  ]
}

Raw file: https://design.werklist.com/agent/data/numbers