What is the history of this indicator and the rationale for its creation?
Assignment: Research one of the following macroeconomic indicators: retail sales, consumer confidence, or consumer price index and answer the following questions.
- What is the indicator you are discussing? Be clear, provide context for why the indicator is cited and/or valued in discussion of the economy. Use cited references and include news and popular press items from reputable sources that provide examples of how the indicator is valued and assessed in real life application. State whether the indicator is leading, lagging or coincident and how it is used with other indicators to provide a directional assessment of the economy.
- What is the history of this indicator and the rationale for its creation?
- What is the source of data for the indicator? Any issues? Shortcomings? Strengths?
- How this data is compiled? Any issues? Shortcomings? Strengths?
- What are the uses of and application of this indicator? Any other indicators that are used in conjunction with this indicator to provide a view of the state of the economy?
The completed assignment should be presented in Word (12 point Times New Roman or Arial font, double spaced) and be approximately 3-5 pages in length.
