2006-12-10 14:59:37 · 7 answers · asked by Andrew A 2 in Social Science ➔ Economics
There are a number of indicators
Advance Monthly Sales for Retail and Food Services | Advance Report on Durable Goods | Construction Put in Place | Corporate Profits | Current Account Balance (International Transactions) | Gross Domestic Product | Housing Vacancies and Homeownership | Manufacturer's Shipments, Inventories, and Orders | Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Orders | Manufacturing and Trade: Inventories and Sales | Monthly Wholesale Trade | New Residential Construction | New Residential Sales | Personal Income and Outlays | Quarterly Financial Report for Manufacturing, Mining and Trade | Quarterly Financial Report for Retail Trade | Retail E-Commerce Sales | U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services | U.S. International Transactions |
GDP or Gross Domestic Product is the best indicator because it is the broadest measure of the performace of the economy. It is the current dollar value of ALL final goods and services produced in the economy during a given period of time.
Most of the other indicators are focused on more narrow segments of the economy.
2006-12-10 15:06:08 · answer #1 · answered by bubba 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has been what feels like forever since I was in an economics class, but I think the answer might revolve around consumer spending/confidence. Other things that come to mind are job growth and the unemployment rate, as well as the average wage.
Even after looking around online for a few minutes I am too left asking this question, lol. Hopefully what I have said helps point you or a fellow Yahoo Answers person in the right direction.
2006-12-10 15:06:49 · answer #2 · answered by manuel_f_p 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
GDP is a measure of how well the economy did. How it is doing now you look at industrial production, store sales, profits, home sales, in general things that can be measured in real time. Consumer confidence does not work as well as it use to because the growth is no longer always translated into wage increases which is what consumers care about.
2006-12-10 20:49:03 · answer #3 · answered by meg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
>Consumer Confidence and Wage index, it indicates how able and willing the base of the economy (wage earners) are to buy stuff.<
2006-12-10 15:02:05 · answer #4 · answered by Druid 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The GDP and the growth rate of the GDP.
Everything else is societal.
2006-12-10 15:02:39 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
orders for raw materials , shows manufactures are lookin to make things to sell to wholesalers who in turn sell to retailers who in turn rip us off ...
2006-12-10 15:08:09 · answer #6 · answered by bigsausagetours 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uh, GDP of course. Cuz that's what the GDP is.
2006-12-10 15:00:51 · answer #7 · answered by peon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋