MACROECONOMIC INDICATORSLinda Hauck

Librarian to VSB & Economics

Spring 2012

Defined

economic indicators    A collection of statistical information about the economy. The most commonly used country economic indicators include the gross domestic product , output by sectors, private consumption, retail sales volume, employment, unemployment, average earnings, investment, productivity, inflation, producer input and output prices, current account, volume of trade in goods and services, exports, imports, public debt, and interest rates.

“Economic indicators"  A Dictionary of Economics. John Black, Nigar Hashimzade, and Gareth Myles. Oxford University Press, 2009. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press.  Villanova University.  6 February 2012  <http://www.oxfordreference.com

Leading, Lagging, Coincident

Sources

Bureau of Economic Analysis (Income, International Trade)

U.S. Census Bureau (Manufacturing, Retail Trade)

Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment, Earnings, Prices)

Federal Reserve Board (Money, Finance, Exchange Rates

Conference Board (Consumer Confidence)

University of Michigan (Consumer Sentiment)

Stock Indices (NYSE, NASDAQ)

Institute for Supply Management (PMI)

National Association of Realtors (existing home sales)

Public Private

In the news…

Appelbaum, B. (2012, January 27). The quiet driver of economic growth: Exports [web log post]. Retrieved from http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/the-quiet-driver-of-economic-growth-exports/?ref=economy

What’s the point?

A. “The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable.” John Kenneth Galbraith

B. “God is in the details”

C. "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."