Alternative indices of recovery/downturn

Alternative indices of recovery/downturn

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Discussion

Brown and Boris

Original Poster:

11,827 posts

240 months

Monday 20th April 2009
quotequote all
Forget the RPI, the employment figures and the house price sales how about some alternatives? I have four;


The tombola index. A few months ago my old Mum who runs jumble sales for Macmillan nurses was bemoaning that fact that nobody was buying her tombola tickets. I think this reflects the 'feel good' factor having gone, and until she starts selling tombola tickets again there will be no 'recovery'.

The second one is the tradesmen index. A few months ago I was getting calls from tradesmen and leaftlets throuh the letterbox from tradesmen asking for work, some offering 20% off. This week my decorator, who laid off his paint monkey at the 3nd of last year has taken on two more and is telling me he can't start until late May/early June.

The skip index. Numbber of skips you see in a set section of road. Of late that has gione up although there is some 'seasonal adjustment' in that index.

The big lorry index; the number of lorries you see in laybys at night.

Any others Alistair Darling should be using?