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misery index
noun
: the sum of the rate of unemployment and the rate of inflation used as an economic indicator
Examples of misery index in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Because the unemployment rate is near its lowest point since the 1960s, the misery index is now fairly low.
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Jeff Sommer, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
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, 14 Mar. 2024
Cumulatively, the onslaughts from TV, the DOJ, and HUAC created a misery index high enough to rank it on any list of the Worst Movie Year Ever.
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Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Dec. 2023
The Fed probably thinks the misery index too amateurish a measure on which to base monetary policy.
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Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2023
Today, under President Joe Biden, the misery index is a breathtakingly low 6.7.
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Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 11 Aug. 2023
After all, the current new misery index at 29.2 comes after a year of relative happiness — with the misery index at -13.4.
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Peter Cohan, Forbes, 17 May 2022
The misery index is an informal measure of the economy that combines the inflation and unemployment rates.
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Rob Wile, NBC News, 14 July 2023
The misery index, which combines unemployment and inflation, will probably decline by November 2024, said Joel Prakken, co-head of US Economics for S&P Global Market Intelligence.
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Gregory Korte, Fortune, 18 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misery index.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1975, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near misery index
Cite this Entry
“Misery index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misery%20index. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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