leading indicator
3
6.8
- noun
- /ˈliːdɪŋ ˈɪndɪˌkeɪtər/
- Specialized
:
indicador adelantado
- In the second quarter of this year, leading indicators began moving in unfavorable directions, presumably because of uncertainty about the elections.
Really what you're looking at is what's a leading indicator of jobs.
- Really what you're looking at is what's a leading indicator of jobs.
- It said the single most important leading indicator of a future home seller is improvements on their home.
- Well, the data is actually telling us that we might be at a leading indicator inflection point.
Examples
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Finally, note that quarterly numbers are a good leading indicator of transitions.
Blog text (7) -
Real retail sales are the "holy grail" leading indicator for jobs over the next six months or so.
Blog text (29) -
Housing is absolutely critical; it is a great leading indicator but also contributes a large fraction of the jobs.
Blog text (8) -
Temporary staffing is up a little, too, which is a leading indicator in the job market.
Blog text (30) -
Indeed, farm loan repayment rates appear to be leading indicators of loan delinquency rates.
Academic text (2018) -
In light of the continued deceleration predicted by our leading indicator models, we lower our top-line growth expectations across the global IT Services industry.
Blog text (9) -
The takeaway from this analysis is that both the long leading indicator of housing and the short leading indicator of consumer spending are pointing to an improving jobs picture in the near future.
Blog text (29) -
GDP is a leading indicator, and if it weren't for the excessive government spending, we'd be experiencing negative growth right now.
Blog text (26) -
My hypothesis is that the Rand poll is a leading indicator of what is likely to be picked up by other voters and other polls later.
Blog text (3) -
The unemployment rate is a strong leading indicator of potential economic growth.
Synonyms
22
4.9
A sign or fact that shows what will happen in the future
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is partially predictable from the parts: 'indicator' (a sign or measure) combined with 'leading' suggests an indicator that 'leads' or comes before something, so learners can infer a precedence or predictive role. However, the specific technical nuance — an economic statistic that tends to change before the economy and is used for forecasting — is specialized and may not be fully deducible to an average B1 learner, so it is only partly transparent.
Etymology
Leading indicator creates a simple image: leading is at the front and an indicator is like a light or flag that points ahead. So a 'leading indicator' is a sign people watch to 'predict' what will happen next in the economy.