Misery index

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Misery index

An index that sums the unemployment and inflation rates, used as a political rating or measure of consumer confidence.

Misery Index

An informal index that adds the unemployment rate and the inflation rate. For example, if inflation is 11% and unemployment is 6%, the misery index is 17. The misery index is of limited economic import, but politicians often use it to show the success of their programs (or the failure of their opponents' policies).
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