RV sales could be an indicator of a smoother ride for the economy

Apr 1, 2024
Sales of these expensive vehicles peaked in 2021, decelerated by more than 50% last year, and are starting to turn up again. That can tell us something about the economy overall.
"RVs do extraordinarily well in predicting business cycles because they’re such a big, volatile consumption piece for most American consumers," says economist Michael Hicks.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Tracking the economy and GDP through trash

Aug 16, 2012
How does our garbage relate to our GDP? Economist Michael McDonough has worked out the GDP-to-trash economic indicator.

Sales of manufactured goods falter

Feb 28, 2012
Durable goods, ranging from computers to refrigerators to planes, fell in January. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the economy is sputtering.

Learning more about consumer sentiment

Feb 22, 2012
Thomson Reuters and the University of Michigan put together a consumer sentiment survey, which serves as an important economic indicator for the U.S.

Analyst: Positive economic indicators send the markets up

Feb 6, 2012
The Dow is now up almost 100 percent from its low in March 2009, and down just 9 percent from the highest point it ever reached in 2007.

New economic index measures credit, too

Jan 26, 2012
The Conference Board is making changes to its leading economic index, taking into account the complexities of the financial marketplace.

For public good, not for profit.

MIDDAY UPDATE: FCC and the census

Dec 21, 2010
The first figures from the U.S. Census are out today. Eve Troeh looks at how the census population numbers will affect how federal funding will be...

Google searches for 'car dealers' points to continued economic slump

Aug 2, 2010
An online service from Google that measures the popularity of search terms may reveal a coming double-dip recession, or at least a slump in car s...