Smiley face buttonBetween the third and fourth quarters of 2013 the general level of misery experienced by people in the United States, Kansas, and the Kansas metropolitan statistical areas decreased.  These declines were the result of lower unemployment rates, as well as lower levels of inflation.    

The Misery Index, as calculated by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR), includes the following components:

  • The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • The House Price Index (HPI) from the Federal Housing Finance Agency
  • Unemployment Rates (UR) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Read the complete fourth quarter report.