strange indicators to know economy is bad

[electronicash]

we know the economy is bad when gas prices have already gone up and all the rest of the stuff we usually buy in the grocery store is up 15%. and because your salary is just what it was the last 2 years, your situation is just as bad as the rest of us. we are in a recession. one reason more economists wanna be think we are in a recession is because we hear it on the news too.

but here are indicators to confirm we really are in an economic downturn.

1. butter popcorn index - people go to movies regardless of how bad the movie is. they just go see movies to just get away from their problems. but when the economy is bad, just sit and watch netflix.
 
2. diaper rash - parents wouldn't mind if their kid's diapers are already full during an economic crisis and are not neglectful when it comes to the diaper turning yellow during an economic upturn.

3. plastic surgery index - plastic surgery index is generally down during rough times as women wouldn't mind how small their boobs are than when the economy is booming.  

4. lipstick index -  women wouldn't spend much on expensive lipsticks so sales are gonna be bad for lipsticks compared to the times when economy is great.

5. japanese haircut index - during a good economy, more people in japan will take care of themselves and get their looks neat and they're not doing this during bad times. women don't go to beauty parlors.

6. bike fatality index - during an economic crisis, people use bikes often or can't afford cars so more bike accidents happen.

7. men underwear index - men especially singles don't mind wearing underwear with a couple of holes in it, no one sees it anyway. men buy less underwear during economic downturns.

8. garbage index - less garbage because people buy less when the economy is bad and buy more when times are good so more garbage everywhere.

9. unclaimed body index - during a bad economy, dead people are not claimed in the morgue. horrible index to look at how bad the economy is.
i'm sure people take care of their family when they die. can't believe this is happening.

i'm sure there are some more, there is also a "beer index" where people prefer to just buy 6 packs and go drink at home rather than a bar.
a few months ago, i bought my kid a secondhand laptop rather than a new one because it's expensive, i think this is also an indicator. and i know he'd break it sooner.

[Gozie51]

9. unclaimed body index - during a bad economy, dead people are not claimed in the morgue. horrible index to look at how bad the economy is.
i'm sure people take care of their family when they die. can't believe this is happening.

Yes during economic downturn or recession, cutting down of expenses is the reasonable thing to do so that you can still be hopeful and surviving in the hard times. But the above is rather funny to me and I don't know if it has gotten to that.

Anyway from ny end, people still claim their people's corpes for burial especially when it is an adult. I'm yet to be aware that people leave their people's d body in mortuary because of the hard economic realiality.

[btc78]

another strange indicator is the rise in mosquito bites
if more people are at home in their untaken cared of houses, the more likely mosquitos will exist and therefore will be biting them

another indicator is more people going on first dates
if the economy is bad then probably a lot of people are unemployed and lonely which pushes them to seek
other relationships compared to when the economy is booming and everyone’s busy

again, there’s still more but this is an interesting topic psychological behavior should also be studied and considered in economics you can definitely take people’s innate behaviors into consideration when you’re starting a business

[dothebeats]

This is just sampling a known and certain need/want of the population and trying to use it to gauge the economy. It's smart, but it's not really something new. Patterns are drawn by people on every economic movement, as they try to align their money and capacity to spend with it.

There is also that Happy Meal indicator if I can remember it correctly that certain companies often reduce their freebies aimed towards children to cut costs and still be afloat during an economic hardship. There's lots of them out there, and you can even create your own and see whether it will be aligned with the current economic conditions or not.

[komisariatku]

~snip~

You gave examples of many conditions that can be a sign that the economy is bad, all of these signs show that the characteristic of a bad economy is a decrease in people's purchasing power.

However, if economic conditions continue to worsen, what will happen next will be food shortages, mass panic and riots. In conditions like this, the state, through its economic department, must issue economic policies that can help society so that people's purchasing power can increase, either by providing subsidies to keep goods prices cheap or providing cash assistance to people affected by the bad economy.

[joniboini]

must issue economic policies that can help society so that people's purchasing power can increase, either by providing subsidies to keep goods prices cheap or providing cash assistance to people affected by the bad economy.

I think that is a tricky decision. If they can't control how much money is in the market, it can go south quickly and will just increase inflation like what happened in Argentina iirc. At some point, people need to become creative on their own so they don't rely on the government to survive for a while. I guess this is where natural selection comes into play.

Weirdly enough, I stopped taking regular haircuts a few years ago. My reason is just laziness though, quite different from the Japanese I guess. On the other hand, the price to get a basic haircut does increase here. Things are getting expensive.

[Text]

That's really the situation, especially in third-world countries. Inflation can't be stopped, especially when the economy isn't progressing.

I used to watch a movie once a week with my mom and grandma before the pandemic, but now there are no more free movies for them. Fortunately, I have the internet and share a Netflix account with a friend.
Getting a haircut is important to me; I get one every month because it's hot in this tropical area. There's still a place where I can get a haircut for 1 to 2 dollars, so it's still affordable.
Bike accidents are not common here; motorcycle accidents are still more prone.
To save money, I don't wear underwear, especially when I'm just at home. I'm used to it. But I prefer boxers over briefs.
The garbage situation is given, especially in places with no proper rules or laws for garbage disposal.

In today's time, if you're not practical, there won't be any positive change or progress in your financial status.

[barisbilgili]

I think that is a tricky decision. If they can't control how much money is in the market, it can go south quickly and will just increase inflation like what happened in Argentina iirc. At some point, people need to become creative on their own so they don't rely on the government to survive for a while. I guess this is where natural selection comes into play.

Weirdly enough, I stopped taking regular haircuts a few years ago. My reason is just laziness though, quite different from the Japanese I guess. On the other hand, the price to get a basic haircut does increase here. Things are getting expensive.

I agree with your opinion, if people have to be more independent in making their economy better, because by hoping that the government can help our economy, it doesn't necessarily mean that the government can channel it appropriately so if we don't think for ourselves then we won't be able to meet our own needs. ourselves, so it would be better for us to do it ourselves to improve our own economic situation.

I think everyone has a different way of using the income they have, but if we have enough income then it would be better for us to take care of ourselves so that we don't become a conversation among other people about our appearance.

[Darker45]

It's funny but it has some kernels of truth. However, it could also be about priority or perhaps irresponsibility. I had an uncle who has the money, but he chose to wear second-hand clothes he bought very cheaply. On the other hand, there are also a lot of people complaining about the rising prices of as basic a need as food and yet they don't even trim down their expenses on cigarettes or gambling or alcohol.

Poverty in my country is rampant but sometimes you can't easily tell because even poor young children have 2 smart phones. A family living in a slum owns a huge flat screen smart TV, can spend the entire day drinking rum and singing on a karaoke, and so on.

[wxa7115]

~snip~

You gave examples of many conditions that can be a sign that the economy is bad, all of these signs show that the characteristic of a bad economy is a decrease in people's purchasing power.

However, if economic conditions continue to worsen, what will happen next will be food shortages, mass panic and riots. In conditions like this, the state, through its economic department, must issue economic policies that can help society so that people's purchasing power can increase, either by providing subsidies to keep goods prices cheap or providing cash assistance to people affected by the bad economy.

And who is going to pay for those massive subsidies? After all if the people are suffering because of the economic downturn then you can be sure governments also have their own fair share of problems as they are not getting as much money in taxes anymore, so it is not like as if they have the money on hand to do this.

And if they were to print money to pay for those subsidies then that is only a short term solution, as sooner or later inflation will take place, eroding the newfound purchasing power of the people in just a matter of months.

[NewRanger]

On the other hand, there are also a lot of people complaining about the rising prices of as basic a need as food and yet they don't even trim down their expenses on cigarettes or gambling or alcohol.

Yes. strange but True. If this is what is conveyed there is no word about inflation, especially when it comes to cigarettes and drinking coffee, we as men, especially active smokers can at least endure it, especially if we try to stop because of inflation, at most we can only last 1 hour. ..he, he, I really avoid the two things above, gambling or alcoholic drinks that you mentioned and don't do the things above.

[pooya87]

we are in a recession. one reason more economists wanna be think we are in a recession is because we hear it on the news too.

The most obvious indication of the recession was the mass firings that happened over the past 1+ year (lay off season) and all those people who had lost their decent paying jobs with good retirement plans were forced to get one or two jobs to be able to earn what they were earning in their previous singular job!

The worst part of all this is not the recession itself, it is the economists and politicians that refuse to accept the facts even when they hit them in the face. That's because if they admit recession they'd have to do something about it and they don't know what to do. For one they need the energy prices to go back down to $30-$40 for oil for example which is not in their control and they are too incompetent to think of any other way!

[pinggoki]

Is there a way that all of them are summarized into one index because they seem to be many to look out for and at the same time I am sure that these indices have some sort of similarity to actually help as an indicator to the progress of the economy. I got to say though that these indices are definitely strange but in terms of being strange, I believe that there's still no one that's goin to beat the Waffle House Index it's not an economic indicator per se as they are a measure for the devastation of an area where a said Waffle House Index but if you reach the last one in the scale, it can be technically an indicator of the economic activity.

[kentrolla]

Well, that's the kind of crisis we are going through but what surprises me even more is all these points which you have mentioned applies to working class or middle class people wherein elites don't even give a damn regardless of situation there lifestyle continues as it is and yeah people cutting down on unnecessary expenditure is the only way to cope up with the rising inflation and bad economy unless one has multiple stream of income which increases as per the price of commodities.

Only losers don't know how to adjusts to the situation according to th economical needs and end up in debt trap.

[Jawhead999]

You're mostly mention about secondary needs which is correct since if a country has a good economy, many people willing to spend their money for secondary needs.

But I like the garbage index, it's make sense as the more garbage = more spending. The drawback is garbage index only can be used in a discipline country e.g. Japan where all of the people taught to dispose garbage on a right place, if people are still throwing garbage in anywhere, the result is bias.

as women wouldn't mind how small their boobs are than when the economy is booming. 

Lol.

[Freddie Boyer]

Well, that's the kind of crisis we are going through but what surprises me even more is all these points which you have mentioned applies to working class or middle class people wherein elites don't even give a damn regardless of situation there lifestyle continues as it is and yeah people cutting down on unnecessary expenditure is the only way to cope up with the rising inflation and bad economy unless one has multiple stream of income which increases as per the price of commodities.

Only losers don't know how to adjusts to the situation according to th economical needs and end up in debt trap.

In my view, usually if circumstances force it, in this case inflation, people will naturally be moved to survive. It's up to us whether we still want to relax with the situation or we always want to look for work (in debt) like that always.

So, are there still jobs that are relaxed but have a big salary ?

[DeathAngel]

Interesting indicators in the OP, I wasn’t aware of a lot of them. There are indicators that can help you know if the economy is in bad shape. One key indicator is the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) growth rate. A decline or stagnation in GDP suggests an economic slowdown. Unemployment rates are obviously clear. An increase in joblessness signifies a struggling economy. Stock market performance, consumer spending, inflation rates & business confidence are important indicators to consider. Monitoring these factors will give you a better understanding of the overall health of the economy.

[Die_empty]

strange indicators to know economy is bad

Strange economic indicators indeed  .
During economic problems, we have more out-of-school children because parents will not be able to pay school fees. These children will be seen on the streets hawking wares to assist the family economically.

There is also a high rate of beggars on the streets. When people don't have jobs due to unemployment, they turn to begging to survive. The crime rate also increases because of unemployment. The rate of armed robbery, kidnappings and even killings increases because unreasonable people want to survive.  

There is also a low marriage childbirth rate. Singles prefer to remain alone because they cannot afford to take care of wives or children. Many bachelors in China are single because of the high cost of living.

A high migration rate is another proof that the economy is not favourable. People will prefer to move to countries with better economic conditions when their home economy is facing challenges. Professionals like medical practitioners, IT personnel and other specialized skilled individuals will move to other countries where they can earn higher or get a higher standard of living.

Public unrest is another cardinal pointer of economic downturn, there is usually protest and strike by workers to express dissatisfaction about the economic hardship.

[Hewlet]

I find this very hilarious, I guess if there is a board for funny threads, this would have been one of the best posts on that board. How do you even come about this statistic? Well, let me add mine.
strange indicators to know an economy is bad.

• increased number of pregnant women, as the only remedy to a broke couples frustration becomes making out.
• fighting in the street

• fewer number of persona in the bank
• number of bearded men increases

[summonerrk]

~~~

In some moments you are wrong. For example, that parents will tolerate a full diaper for a child if hard times come. Children are the most important thing we have, and even if everything is five times worse, then good parents will give the last thing they have just to make their child feel good and comfortable. Any parent knows this, and everyone who has children agrees with me.

A sufficient indicator of the poor situation in the economy is the rise in prices. This has always been and will always be, and this is enough to understand everything.