All signs of economic activity or non-activity are actually part of a large group of statistics and data known as economic indicators. With the help of economic data and the analysis of economic indicators, economists can locate the economy’s present position within the cycle and anticipate its next movements. This book introduces readers to the fascinating and revelatory realm of economic indicators— leading, lagging, and coincident indicators. Readers will be initiated into the mysteries of economic analysis and forecasting and learn exactly how economists “read the signs” and come up with solid data that provides reliable and accurate information about the upward or downward direction in which the economy is headed.