Are things getting better in this economy? Sometimes it’s truly hard to figure that out when sifting through the glut of economic data. More often than not, the answer is muddy.
Yet beyond the latest GDP estimate or the Fed’s Beige Book survey, there are offbeat indicators of how Americans are faring in this post-recession climate. In the Roaring Twenties, for example, women began showing some leg for the first time, a seeming celebration of the thriving times. Fall 2011 fashion trends point to the emergence of the maxi-skirt and the mid-calf-length skirt. It turns out long hemlines are in this year, and that may accurately reflect the lousy economy.
Here are 10 other quirky economic. At the very least, they’re a lot more entertaining than, say, the fine print that populates the pages of most government reports.
