General Electric's size, at 310,000 employees, and diversity make it an important economic barometer.

The jobs report will be watched especially closely because it will be the first detailed economic barometer of the year.

The economic barometer rose 0.5 percent in July.

Chicken has become a social and economic barometer.

Devaluation is a key economic barometer in this South American nation, which has been buffeted by inflation for two decades.

"Throughout history, the ideal women's body size has gone up and down like an economic barometer of culture," said Ms. Bloom.

Factory orders are an important economic barometer of manufacturers' plans for production.

The trade figures measure the difference between imports and exports, one of the main economic barometers.

The price of the dollar, a key economic barometer, is climbing even faster.

Despite increased labor agitation, government support for unions, and more radical social policies, the economic barometer in Mexico remained optimistic.