Economics
Social Distancing Index Shows Americans Are Starting to Mingle
- Dallas Fed gauge began to ease in the second half of April
- Geolocation data captures time and distance away from home
A cone to promote social distancing sits on the floor of a restaurant and bar in Austin, Texas, on May 23, 2020.
Photographer: Alex Scott/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Americans hunkered down at home for more than two months and businesses closed in order to help slow the spread of Covid-19. A new real-time gauge of social distancing, however, shows the nation’s economy is beginning to stir to life once again.
After spiking in mid-March, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas’ Social Distancing Index, which measures the extent of physical distancing and its relationship to economic activity, has started to decline as states begin lifting restrictions on business and consumer interactions.