Warren Buffett says....

[Undertoad]

Judging an economy by the DJIA is like judging a hooker by her ankles. Sure, it might give you a hint but there are much better places to look, if you want a sense of what's happening.*

Around here we judge the economy by GDP, primarily. It's the one the economists use. You can pick whatever indicator you like and claim it means something, but the GDP reflects your beloved productivity, and pretty much sums up everything going on. The stock market reflects only one single sector of investments, and guesses, and fashion, on the worth of ONLY public incorporations.

*disclaimer: no actual hookers were consulted or judged in any way.