Leading economic indicators includes:
- Housing starts
- Manufacturers’ orders for durable goods
- Interest rates spread
- Stock prices
- Building permits
Not leading economic indicators includes:
- Average duration of unemployment
- The trade deficit
- The unemployment rate
Leading economic indicators are typically those which change before the economy as a whole begins to move in a particular direction and are used to predict future economic activity. Non-leading indicators, on the other hand, might change at the same time as the economy or after it.
Based on economic theory, here's how these items are generally categorized:
Leading economic indicators includes:
- Housing starts
- Manufacturers’ orders for durable goods
- Interest rates spread
- Stock prices
- Building permits
These indicators can provide advanced signals of the direction of future economic activity.
Not leading economic indicators includes:
- Average duration of unemployment
- The trade deficit
- The unemployment rate
These tend to reflect current or past economic situations rather than predict future performance.