LAGGING ECONOMIC INDICATOR: One of seven economic statistics that tend to move up or down a few months after the expansions and contractions of the business cycle. These statistics paint a pretty clear picture of what the economy was doing a few months back. Lagging economic indicators lag the turning points of the aggregate economy by 3-12 months. After a contraction begins, lagging indicators decline 3 to 12 months later. And 3 to 12 months after a expansion begins, lagging indicators rise. See also | economic indicators | leading economic indicator | coincident economic indicator | interest rate | Consumer Price Index | personal income | unemployment | business inventories |
