---
title: The ‘misery index’ is rising
description: Whether we enter a recession, people are miserable.
---

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# [The ‘misery index’ is rising](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/06172022-misery-index)

 Written by [Jacob Cohen](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/jacob-cohen) | Jun 17, 2022 6:05:44 AM

This week, the Fed announced the biggest interest rate hike since 1994.

The central bank is trying to fight inflation by slowing the economy down without sending it into a recession.

- Unfortunately, a recession is looking likely: The [chances](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-15/us-recession-risk-hits-72-by-2024-as-fed-hikes-rates-to-curb-inflation?sref=3Ac2yX40) of us entering one by Q1 2024 are at 71.7%, per *Bloomberg*.

**Whatever happens…**

… people are feeling the heat either way. The [misery index](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/miseryindex.asp) — a measure that sums up inflation and unemployment rates — is rising dramatically.

- **What it tells us: **The misery index is meant to measure American households’ economic well-being. The idea: the higher the index, the worse the misery.

The first misery index was developed by economist Arthur Okun, an advisor to President Lyndon Johnson, in the 1970s.

**Unrelated, but related:** Apparently, it’s a [TikTok trend](https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdwWtPmG/?k=1) to drive past the Missouri state line while blasting Maroon 5’s “Misery.”

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/06172022-misery-index)

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