Couch Surf Count

With the aging of the millennials, it will be curious to see whether it will be necessary to adjust the economic indicators to better capture the shift in consumption patterns. As it becomes less and less attractive to a good number of that millennial class to actually own a car, home, etc.., do the tried and true statistics designed to capture real economic activity become less meaningful. One might assume that it is a stretch to assume that historical norms of marriage, household and family formation will shift dramatically but it does not seem like too much of a stretch to assume that how these up and coming millennials work, play, eat, and buy will differ widely from their parents and grandparents. Statistics such as housing starts, new car sales, same store sales may be inadequate to capture the real growth in an economy that is experiencing radical shifts in consumer behavior.