misery index

American  

noun

1. an unofficial indication of a nation's economic health, derived by adding the percentage rate of inflation to the percentage of unemployed workers.

   With inflation running at 15 percent and unemployment at 8 percent, the misery index is 23 percent.

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Etymology

Origin of misery index

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

And the deaths are only part of the pandemic misery index.

From Salon • Sep. 3, 2022

But his personal misery index reached a new plateau during a weekend of record-setting heat.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2021

Yet, somehow, this city’s teams keep finding ways to take the misery index to new heights.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 10, 2019

Yet, somehow, this city’s teams keep finding ways to take the misery index to new heights.

From Washington Times • Oct. 10, 2019

During this period, the misery index became a common part of American political conversation: that was the measure of unemployment plus inflation.

From Slate • Aug. 2, 2017