HOW DO YOU KNOW HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE ECONOMY IS WHEN THE ECONOMY IS

NOT DOING WELL?NOT DOING WELL?

For the past year the media has been reporting that the world has been in a recession (not doing well).

But how do we know that it is not doing well?

What type of things can we look at to say… “Yeah, we aren’t doing as well as we thought.”

TAKE A MINUTE AND THINK TAKE A MINUTE AND THINK ABOUT IT.ABOUT IT.

On a sheet of paper On a sheet of paper write down ways write down ways that you can tell the that you can tell the economy is not economy is not doing well.doing well.

HERE ARE 10 QUIRKY HERE ARE 10 QUIRKY ECONOMIC INDICATORSECONOMIC INDICATORS

These off beat barometers of the economy can give you much needed guidance Or simply a

good laugh.

PACKED THEATERSPACKED THEATERS

When times get tough, people go to the movies. Box-office sales have increased in all of the last 5 recession years. The number of movie tickets sold in the 1st quarter of ‘09 increased more than 9% from last year.

People continue to fill theater seats, because movies are one of the least expensive entertainment options out of the house. The average ticket price in 2008 was $7.18. So when the lines get shorter and ticket prices higher, will happy times be here again?

MORE GREEN THUMBSMORE GREEN THUMBS

The number of households that will grow their own fruits, berries, vegetables and herbs this year is 19% higher than in 2008.

That makes 43 million gardeners in the United States this year. It’s fun and relaxing, no doubt, but 54% of the respondents say the prospect of saving money on groceries motivates them to till the soil.

MORE FIRST DATESMORE FIRST DATES

Misery loves company, eh? Online dating service Match.com notices a pattern in its site activity during tough times. The fourth quarter of 2008 was its busiest in seven years (the site has been around since 1995). Match had a similar surge in late 2001, right after 9/11.

The company believes people are looking for someone with whom they can forget about money troubles—or share the pain. When the Dow Jones industrial average dropped to a five-year low last November, Match.com had its second-busiest weekend of the year.

ROMANCE NOVELS ARE HOTROMANCE NOVELS ARE HOT

The economy broke your heart. Time to bury your sorrows in a a romance novel? At least that’s what Harlequin, the giant romance-novel publisher, says is happening. In 2008, Harlequin’s sales were up 32% from the year before. In 2009, its sales are still rising.

The publisher credits the increase to its uplifting stories that offer a haven, and to the low prices of the books relative to other entertainment. Harlequin saw a similar sales increase during the recession of the early '90s. So if these books start piling up unwanted on the discount table at the bookstore, alongside all those mistimed guides to real estate riches, better news might be on the way.

DROOPIER EYES (1)DROOPIER EYES (1)

America is all tuckered out. The 2009 Sleep in America Poll found that nearly one-third of Americans lost sleep because they were worried about their finances. The poll, by the National Sleep Foundation, also found that 10% of those people tossed and turned, specifically worrying about their jobs. That's roughly the same percentage of Americans who are out of work.

DROOPIER EYES (2)DROOPIER EYES (2)Americans spent $10.3 billion in 2008 to endure 1.7 million cosmetic surgeries, which is 9% less than in 2007. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons cites the bad economy.

Without as much extra cash—and facing depleted retirement funds and much less home equity—fewer people can spend freely on plastic surgery. The number of liposuction procedures was down 19% in 2008 and tummy tucks were down 18%.

GOOPIER EYELASHESGOOPIER EYELASHESYou’ve got that recession look in your eye. Total eye-makeup sales at supermarkets and drugstores were up 8.5% in the one-year period that ended on March 22. In that period, more than $260 million was spent on eye makeup – in particular, eyeliner was up 9% and mascara almost 13%, the industry says.

The leading lipstick indicator – the past trend that lipstick sales rose in economic downturns as consumers settled for inexpensive luxuries – is not holding up. Lipstick sales are down 11%. But eye makeup has replaced lipstick as the indicator, devotees of this theory say.

TOO MANY GATORSTOO MANY GATORSWhat do 100,000 alligators have to do with the economy? They're all residents of Savoie’s Alligator Farm, one of the largest in Louisiana. Yet, the farm, which sells gator-skin hides to tanners who in turn sell them to luxury designers like Louis Vuitton, says it hasn't sold a single hide since November.

People just aren't buying alligator skin handbags and luggage. Yes, it's tough on the gator farmers. They're trying to keep the hides they already have in stock from spoiling. But it’s good news for alligators everywhere—if they only knew.

DRY CLEANING PICKUPS ARE DOWNDRY CLEANING PICKUPS ARE DOWN

The International Dry cleaning and Laundry Institute is hearing gripes from many of its 5,000 members. Because of the poor economy, customers are visiting less frequently and leaving clothes longer. Customers who once came weekly now visit every two weeks, monthly customers visit bimonthly, and some people delay their pickups even longer to avoid the bill.

MORE MOSQUITOS BITESMORE MOSQUITOS BITESIn Maricopa County, Ariz., huge numbers of foreclosed or abandoned homes have vacant swimming pools and unattended ponds. The stagnant waters – known as green pools -- are a hotbed for mosquito breeding, say local authorities. Crews have treated more than 4,000 green pools already in 2009. During the same period in 2007, before metropolitan Phoenix’s housing market collapsed, they had treated only 2,500. While most are on vacant properties, some also belong to residents who can't afford to maintain their pools and ponds.

NOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE 10 QUIRKY ECONOMIC

INDICATORS WORK.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THESE MIGHT WORK?

1.1. Appalachian Trail Hikers. Appalachian Trail Hikers.

When the going gets tough, the tough take a hike. There’s been a spike in the number of hikers making the long trek—meaning plenty of people have plenty of free time on their hands.

2. Immigrants in the U.S. 2. Immigrants in the U.S.

After rising for decades, the number of foreign-born residents has stalled. Apparently, immigrants just aren’t as attracted to this country as they once were.

3. Men’s Underwear Index. 3. Men’s Underwear Index.

When the economy is stable, the sale of men’s underwear remains flat and strong. But when money is tight, sales drop pretty quickly as men tend to wear their skivvies more times before replacing them. After all, nobody sees your tightie whities or boxers.

4. The Reselling of Cemetery Plots.4. The Reselling of Cemetery Plots.

When people buy one of these, you gotta assume that the thought never entered their heads that one day they’d want to—or have to—sell before putting them to use. People need the money, and suddenly cremation is cool.

5. Pro Football Games Blacked-Out on TV5. Pro Football Games Blacked-Out on TV.

As the NFL season opened, a dozen teams had not sold out their home games, and with blackout rules that means that viewers at home might not be able to watch those games on TV. They blackout games to encourage people to buy tickets, but fewer folks today are eager to drop big bucks on something that (normally) they can enjoy for free from home.

6. Fewer Babies Born, Fewer Babies Planned6. Fewer Babies Born, Fewer Babies Planned.

In one survey, 44 percent of women said that they were going to put off having kids or have fewer kids because of the economy.

7. The Toughness of Marine Ads. 7. The Toughness of Marine Ads.

The Marines have met all of their recruitment goals, as typically occurs when the job market is bad. And so ads on TV are showing the toughest side of being a Marine, with barbed wire and even some dry heaving. Why? Because now they can be picky, and they want to attract the toughest, most highly motivated recruits.

8. Coupon Redemption. 8. Coupon Redemption.

The numbers are already up 23 percent so far this year, demonstrating that people are eager to save money. And you know who is more likely to be clipping those coupons? Folks who are well-to-do.

9. Long-Distance Relationships9. Long-Distance Relationships.

Because job prospects are so hard to come by, people are more inclined to relocate for a good offer, even if that means leaving a loved one behind.

10. The Hot Waitress Index. 10. The Hot Waitress Index.

When times are flush, attractive women in big cities have many opportunities to make money through marketing gigs, modeling, hosting parties, and such. When times are less than flush, those opportunities dry up, and then restaurateurs scoop them up to wait tables—and to attract diners who like being served by hot waitresses.