"Misery Index" - Stagflation Tracker

Misery Index = Unemployment + Inflation

"The misery index was initiated by economist Arthur Okun, an adviser to President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960's. It is simply the unemployment rate added to the inflation rate. It is assumed that both a higher rate of unemployment and a worsening of inflation both create economic and social costs for a country. A combination of rising inflation and more people of out of work implies a deterioration in economic performance and a rise in the misery index. "

High: 21.98% (June 1980)
Low: 2.97% (July 1953)
Now: 9.18% (February 2008)

http://www.miseryindex.us/