Between fourth quarter 2013 and first quarter 2014 the general level of misery experienced by people in the United States, Kansas, and the Kansas metropolitan statistical areas increased, with the largest percentage gain occurring in Lawrence, Kan. That particular increase was due to a decline in housing prices and an increase in the unemployment rate.
The Misery Index, as calculated by the Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR), includes the following components:
- The Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
- The House Price Index (HPI) from the Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Unemployment Rates (UR) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics