Economy & Business

New ‘Distress Index’ shows San Francisco’s economic pain is getting worse

New tool finds that recession started earlier in Bay Area
Some economists and business groups say the Great Recession is over, but how do communities really know whether they’re moving out of the recession or falling behind?

A ground-breaking new tool that measures the real-world impact of the recession is providing answers. It shows that in San Francisco, at least, the worst downturn in 70 years isn’t just continuing — it may be getting worse.

The new San Francisco Distress Index, which assembles 11 types of monthly economic indicators such as foreclosure rates and food pantry visits, has risen 11 percent since June 2009 — the month when, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the U.S. recession supposedly bottomed out.