Clark Howard: Gridlock economy

Updated: 5/22/2013 9:33 am
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- We've been told for the last four years that the United States economy is getting steadily stronger, but a lot of people feel like we haven't got out of the great recession.

Unemployment has remained unusually high and it feels like there are more bills a month than there is money.  So here's the thing -- there is actual proof, a weird sort of backwards way the economy is getting better. 

It's called the gridlock index. It's done by one of the consulting companies, and what they've found is traffic is getting worse around the country. 

Traffic actually was much less of a hassle during the great recession, but especially after the last couple of years, traffic is getting worse and worse and worse in cities that are subject to a lot of congestion. 

That means people are out there driving more. They're feeling more comfortable spending money, because most driving is not for commuting back and forth to work. 

It's for running around shopping and things like that. We're doing more of that and it's a good sign for the U.S. economy.

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