News about the economic recovery makes daily headlines. Everyone is looking for markers of the permanency of the recovery taking place. Is what we're witnessing irrational post-lockdown exuberance? A party that's going to end as quickly as it started as employment recovery fails to keep up with the pace of spending? Or are we truly seeing a recovery that could go on for several years, sustained by a renewed sense of optimism and desire to take pleasure in life after lockdown?

In the past, indicators like the Consumer Confidence Index and Retail Sales were favored trackers. But new metrics seem to be popping up left and right, from the Lockdown Index to the erstwhile Lipstick and now, the Moisturizer Index. At Escalent, we've tried to make sense of the barrage of economic indicators that fall into two categories, those that measure facts and those that measure opinions.

There is a lot of noise out there. So, what economic indicators should you listen to? Which ones are in tune with the moment? Which ones matter for your business and industry?