misery index
noun
: the sum of the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation used as an economic indicator
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Okun’s misery index was modified by Harvard professor Robert Barro in 1996, by including the 30-year government-bond yield and the difference between the long-term-trend rate of real GDP growth and the actual rate of real GDP growth.
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Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 27 Feb. 2025
Currently, the misery index stands at 6.5%, below its 9.1% average since 1947.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
On Carter’s watch, the misery index started at 12.72 percent, peaked at 21.9 percent in June, 1980, and was still higher than 20 percent in November.
—K. Lloyd Billingsley, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2025
Historically, the misery index has accurately predicted the presidential outcome, with a high index number predicting that the incumbent party was set to lose.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
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Steve H. Hanke, National Review, 27 Feb. 2025
Currently, the misery index stands at 6.5%, below its 9.1% average since 1947.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
On Carter’s watch, the misery index started at 12.72 percent, peaked at 21.9 percent in June, 1980, and was still higher than 20 percent in November.
—K. Lloyd Billingsley, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2025
Historically, the misery index has accurately predicted the presidential outcome, with a high index number predicting that the incumbent party was set to lose.
—Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 30 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for misery index
Cite this Entry
“Misery index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misery%20index. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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