2010 Shaping Up Well?
Boy, did I get excited when I saw the headline that “growth” was expected in the year 2010, which is right around the corner really, considering we only have another two months and some days left in the year 2009, which I think many in precarious situations, and even if not in bad situations, would like to soon forget. So, what’s this “growth” they’re talking about? Is it economic, overall? The housing market? Stock market? What gives, and is it really going to impact us as the average American Joe in any real way, or is this another statistic that doesn’t really affect us on individual levels?
Well, it’s good news, that’s for sure, but it’s still considered somewhat of a sluggish recovery, as many so often like to say in the news these days. At any rate, it’s an improvement, and we’ll take that. The “leading indicators” as they’re called, which help to forecast whether the economy will grow or contract further in the near future, have been on their way up, albeit slowly and not with huge gains, for the past six months, hence the calls that the recovery has become from numerous people.
These indicators are seeming to show that the trend will only continue and break it’s highs for the year 2010. However, this still doesn’t mean that jobs will get any better in 2010, as we’re so often cautioned, and I think that a strong job market and stronger demand for consumer goods is what is really going to drive this market back to where it needs to be, and that’s when we know we’re starting to hit a real period of true growth again.
I’d love to see the jobless rates fall dramatically, as I think that is the single strongest indicator of a real, sustainable recovery we can see. It can only mean that people will start to freely spend their money again, which will accelerate the economy as a whole, and put businesses in the position to hire even more people, it’s all a cycle, and we need to get back on the good end of that cycle again if we’re going to experience anything real and lasting in this recovery.
