Misery Index

[Run To State]

For those who think this is the worst economy since the depression and that Bush is worse than Carter. Think again.

 

20.76 folks! WOW! :eek:

[75center]

I remember the mid 70's to 80's, rough times.

[KyFans11]

I remember the mid 70's to 80's, rough times.

Especially when the big snow storms would hit!

[HHSDad]

The Misery Index is the unemployment percentage plus the inflation rate. Kind of meaningless.

[75center]

Especially when the big snow storms would hit!

 

Storms? I thought it was a single long storm lasting from 77 to 78!

[bballfamily]

The Misery Index is the unemployment percentage plus the inflation rate. Kind of meaningless.

 

I thought it also was to include the interest rates as well.

Carter came up with this ploy as a campaign tatic with the economic slowdown under Ford. It came back to bite him as the economy went south during his 4 years in office.

[AcesFull]

I thought it also was to include the interest rates as well.

Carter came up with this ploy as a campaign tatic with the economic slowdown under Ford. It came back to bite him as the economy went south during his 4 years in office.

If interest rates were included, Carter's lead in the misery index would be much larger.

[Run To State]

The Misery Index is the unemployment percentage plus the inflation rate. Kind of meaningless.

Why is that meaningless?

[Run To State]

If interest rates were included, Carter's lead in the misery index would be much larger.

:thumb:

[AcesFull]

When it comes to spreading misery and despair, former President Carter is the undisputed American heavyweight champion. If Carter had been a dictator, he might have gotten a shot at the world title. :lol:

[HHSDad]

Why is that meaningless?

The inflation is being artifically held in check by the Fed. They were supposed to drop rates again today. That has other bad consequences. Also, the unemployment rate only includes those that are on the unemployment rolls. The index doesn't include things like #of foreclosures, bankruptcies, the amount of credit being paid on. Today's economy isn't as simple as it was 30 years ago. As consumers, we have more tools to soften the hard times, that is until it all collapses like a stack of cards.

[shooter]

The inflation is being artifically held in check by the Fed. They were supposed to drop rates again today. That has other bad consequences. Also, the unemployment rate only includes those that are on the unemployment rolls. The index doesn't include things like #of foreclosures, bankruptcies, the amount of credit being paid on. Today's economy isn't as simple as it was 30 years ago. As consumers, we have more tools to soften the hard times, that is until it all collapses like a stack of cards.

 

 

All that said, if you were limited to just two measures to judge the economy, inflation rate and unemployment rate are hard to beat.

[shooter]

Also, shouldn't the chart list the year 1963 under Kennedy? He was killed in Nov 23, 1963.

[HHSDad]

All that said, if you were limited to just two measures to judge the economy, inflation rate and unemployment rate are hard to beat.

Six years ago the inflation rate was 1.48%. Today its 3.98%.

 

Foreclosures were up by 79% in 2007.

 

Dollars per Euro 6 years ago. 1.10670

Dollars per Euro now. 0.64070

 

Price of gasoline 6 years ago: $1.353

Price of gasoline today: $3.639

 

Price of light crude oil 6 years ago: $23.78

Price of light crude oil now: $115.95

 

Other changes in past 6 years

Price of white bread up 33.4%

Electricity up 29.6%

Natural gas up 76.6%

Heating oil up 230%

Ground chuck up 29%

Eggs up 120%

Apples up 32.1%

Oranges up 26.5%

Tomatoes up 42%

Orange Juice up 36%

 

A 30% increase equates to an annual inflation rate of 4.45%.

 

Average wages went up 16.2% from 2002 to 2006, or 3.8% a year.

[Ms Liberty]

When it comes to spreading misery and despair, former President Carter is the undisputed American heavyweight champion. If Carter had been a dictator, he might have gotten a shot at the world title. :lol:

 

That's for sure and even more so now .