The Economy’s Better, Google Says So

I’m sure he’ll want to take this one back tomorrow.  President Obama’s top economic adviser, Larry Summers, in making his case that that we are no longer in an economic free-fall cites fewer people are googling “economic depression,” in fact they are back down to normal levels.

Well I’m relieved.  I am sure you are as well.  Eamon Javers of Politico reports:

The number of people searching for the term “economic depression” on Google is down to normal levels, Summers said.

Searches for the term were up four-fold when the recession deepened in the earlier part of the year, and the recent shift goes to show consumer confidence is higher, Summers told the Peterson Institute for International Economics (read more)

I thought he would cite unemployment being down, jobs created, earnings reports, the Dow being up consistently, etc.  Those things would be a better indicator of a turn around.

Oh, but he can’t.

Nope, Google is the place to go.  Who would have thunk it?

HT: Linda Hagan Knapik

Update: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air shares what else we can learn from Google searches.  Maybe there is something to this!

HA reader Paul notes that Google searches for “how to find a job” are up 50% over normal.  What other trends can we see?

• Obama incompetent – That shows a recent spike.
• stimulus failure – Another recent spike!
• federal deficit – That’s gone up lately, too.
• economic disaster – Up considerably over normal.
• Obama support – For some reason, this is way down.