Misery in the United States, Kansas and the four Kansas metros, as measured by the Misery Index, increased from fourth quarter 2012 to first quarter 2013. Most of the other eight MSAs tracked by CEDBR also experienced an increase in their misery levels. Greenville, S.C., was the only exception.
The Misery Index, as calculated by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR), includes the following components:
- The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- The House Price Index (HPI) from the Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Unemployment Rates (UR) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics