Graph of the Day

By Randall Hoven

"From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Sept 15, 2009.

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Data Source: St. Louis Fed. (NOTE: The charts plot four main economic indicators tracked by the NBER dating committee; each series is indexed to 100 at the start of the recession. For industrial production, employment, and real retail sales, the average series includes the 10 recessions starting with the November 1948 business cycle peak. For real income, the average starts with the April 1960 peak. For additional information, see the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Economic Synopses, 2009, No. 4.)

Hoven's Index for September 16, 2009

Percentage of doctorate degrees in engineering in the US awarded to foreign students in 1996: 56%.

Percentage of doctorate degrees in engineering in the US awarded to foreign students in 2005: 63%.

(Data source: Congressional Research Service.)