Lagging indicators


Lagging indicators

Economic indicators that follow rather than precede the country's overall pace of economic activity. See also: Leading indicators and coincident indicators.

Lagging Indicator

Statistics of economic performance that follow other indicators. Lagging indicators are used to confirm a previous economic trend. For example, an increase in job creation and a fall in the unemployment rate are considered lagging indicators of economic recovery. That is, they occur after other indicators of recovery, such as GDP growth. As such, job creation and lower unemployment show that the GDP growth has been, and will likely continue to be, sustained. See also: Leading indicator, Coincident indicator.