A great deal has been made by some people of the fact that according to the classic definition of a recession as two quarters or more of negative GDP growth we just aren’t in one now. But the nature of our economy is in flux and old definitions just might not hold up.
So let me propose the Signs Rules.
If for two consecutive quarters you drive for a few thousand miles on multiple highways and you see more billboards advertising the services of the billboard company than someone else’s product or service you might be in a recession.
If for two consecutive quarters as you travel in the city and suburbs and the number of signs for houses for rent or sale (extra points for the “Price Reduced” addition), SUVs for sale, trucks for sale and boats for sale increase steadily you just might be in a recession.
Filed under: Business & Society, Economics
You just might be a Democrat living in or near a slum.
That’s hilarious. The roads the billboards are on include I-70, I-55, I-35, I-29 and Missouri 71. The “slum” I live in is one of the largest, fastest growing suburbs of Kansas City in large part because of its excellent school system.