Economic IndicatorsEconomic indicators are different levels of statistics that provide insight and information about the functioning of an economy. An economist may use economic indicators to chart current economic performance or make future economic forecasts. As a team, we will profile six economic indicators: the consumer price index, capacity utilization, the unemployment rate, the producer price index, the interest rate and the investment rate. 'inflation. Historical charts for each indicator are included in our Power Point presentation. As we move forward, we will use this information to help us better understand our selected industry, the airline industry. Consumer Price Index (CPI) The Consumer Price Index is published by the Federal Ministry of Labor for the purpose of measuring the cost of living. in the United States. The index measures the general price level of a fixed basket of goods typically purchased by consumers. It translates the price of goods such as food, drink, housing, clothing, transportation, medical care, and entertainment from what they were in previous years to what the same goods would cost today or services. The Consumer Price Index allows anyone looking at it to determine how much money they need to spend today to live the same lifestyle they lived in previous years. The annual percentage change in the index value is one way to measure the annual inflation rate. When the consumer price index rises, it indicates an inflationary environment and that consumers will pay more for the same goods or services than in the past. Conversely, when the CPI falls, consumers will pay less for the same goods or services than they are paying...... middle of paper ......//en.wikiped Wikpedia, excerpt June 16, 2006 by ia. org/wiki/Northwest_Airlines).Wikpedia, retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producer_Price_IndexInvestopedia, retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.investopedia.com/university/releases/ppi .aspBureau of Labor Statistics, retrieved June 16, 2006 from http://www.bls.gov/news.release/ppi.nr0.htmWikpedia, retrieved June 17, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Inflation_rateRTE Business, accessed June 17, 2006 at http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0119/us.htmlBBC News, accessed June 17, 2006 at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/business/5079930.stmAlpha, retrieved June 16, 2006 from www.alpha.orgOnline Investor, retrieved June 16, 2006 from www.theonlineinvestor.comPBS, retrieved June 16, 2006 from www.pbs.orgMoney Central, retrieved June 16 2006 2006 on www.moneycentral.msn.com