Is the US Economy in Recession? Here Are Eight Offbeat Indicators to Watch

After two quarters of contracting gross domestic product in the US, a debate has raged across Wall Street and Washington about when the country will be in a recession — and whether we're already in one. Technically, the call is made by a panel of experts looking at monthly indicators of employment, consumer spending, personal income and manufacturing, among others. But with inflation at a four-decade high, many Americans already feel like the country is in a recession.

Throughout history, pundits have looked to a range of unusual measures to read as signposts. Here are a few.