Economic Indicators For Dummies helps readers understand the meaning of economic indicators and how they affect stocks, bonds, commodities and international markets. It also explains how readers can use these myriad statistics to make investment decisions as well as plan strategic goals for business growth. Everything you need to easily get a handle on economic indicators In today's volatile, often troubling economic landscape, there are myriad statistics and reports that paint an economic picture that can sometimes resemble a work by Jackson Pollock. These complex and often-conflicting reports could vex even the savviest investor. Introduction 1Part I: Figuring Out the Economy 7Chapter 1: Introducing Economic Indicators 9Chapter 2: Explaining Economic Jargon 21Chapter 3: Understanding the Big Picture: The Economy and Its Footprints 45Part II: Making Money, Spending Money: Employment and Consumer Indicators 65Chapter 4: Counting Jobs and Unemployment 67Chapter 5: Survey Says: Considering Consumer Sentiment, Confi dence, and Comfort 93Chapter 6: Spreading the Wealth: Consumer Spending and the Economy 113Part III: The Essence of Business: Product and Service Indicators 133Chapter 7: GDP: The Whole Enchilada 135Chapter 8: Following the Fed 161Chapter 9: Profi ling Manufacturing: New Orders and Shipments 185Chapter 10: Grappling with Economic Indexes 201Chapter 11: Spending on Housing and Residential Construction 213Part IV: Inflation, Productivity, Interest Rates, and Commodities: Oh My! 239Chapter 12: Determining Infl ation's Economic Impact 241Chapter 13: Taking a Closer Look at Productivity and Economic Growth 261Chapter 14: Eyeing Business and Municipal Borrowing in the Bond Market 273Chapter 15: Harvesting Commodity Data 289Part V: International Intrigue: Indicators beyond the United States 309Chapter 16: Trading with the United States 311Chapter 17: Following Economies Worldwide 325Chapter 18: Monitoring Emerging Economies 345Part VI: The Part of Tens 353Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Track the U.S. Economy 355Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Money-Making Tips You Can Use with Economic Indicators 361Glossary 367Index 375