5 Factors To Consider To Know Where The Economy Is Going

"Days toll:75,000 jobs eliminated in Houston Texas as of January 27,2009" !

You see in the papers everyday now a days about businesses going out of business, people getting laid off from their jobs, down turn of the housing market and wonders where is the nations's economy is heading.

What pieces of information showed you follow to know where the economy is heading? Personal finance columnist Shannon Buggs asked Adriana Fernandez, economist for the Federal Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch which economic indicators regular folks should follow to understand where recession is heading:

1. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) This is the boadest measure of all the activity of every sector of the U.S. economy. GDP numbers are released quaarterly by by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The downside of following the GDP is that it is reported every three months and is based on an analysis of what happened six months earlier. So this indicator does not exactly pout your finger on what's happening now.

2. Inflation: It means there is a rise in the level of prices for goods and services.The most commonly referenced measure is the consumer price index, which which measures what a typical shopper pays for a defined "basket" of goods. You can also tract the producer price index which tracts how much a manufacturer paid for items needed to make the product for sale. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases CPI and PPI numbers monthly.

3. Unemployment: Unemployment is measured as a rate-- the number of unemployed as a percentage of the labor force. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases this information monthly.

4. Consumer Confidence Index:This measures how you and I feel about current economic conditions and what we expect future economic conditions will be.The number is released evwry month by the Conference Board which surveys 5000 consumers across the country to gauge their attitudes.

5. Housing starts: This is the measure of beginning of construction of new single family and multi-family residenciues each month and is released by the Census Bureau. When the turn around begins here, the rest of the economy may follow, Fernandez said.

There is no doubt that we are today facing a recession problem in our country. Massive layoffs, downturn of the housing sector and expensive prices of goods are everywhere. There is no more job security.

This certainly is a wake up call for all of us. We cannot depend on our jobs anymore being there permanently to make us a living. We have to have a Plan B. The best polan B is to do a home-based business, where the capital is not expensive to start the business. Even less than a hundred dollars, mostly less than three hundred dollars will get you started.

Look around, ask your friends who are successful in network marketing. Search the internet and look for work at home programs that fit your needs. Do your due diligence.

Be sure your sponsor is a seasoned networker marketer with experience and credibility. Check the credibility of the company and the market of its products. Check the compensation plan and ask questions. Your decision to start a home based business will eventually give you that financial security you have been looking for.