'Household Misery Index' Hovering Near 30-Year High

An update of the "Misery Index" from the '70s shows that economic anxiety remains at a high level—just below the all-time high set in December 1982, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Misery, as measured by the blog Paper Economy's "Household Misery Index," dropped in June by .02%, but was .31% higher than the same month last year. Bah.

The original Misery Index combined unemployment and inflation, but rampant inflation is not a source of economic pain in the current slump. The Household Misery Index also takes into account the 10-year moving average of "real" personal income and the value of the S&P 500 to capture a long-term sense of income and investment prospects.