From the Campaign for America’s Future is a detailed breakdown of gross economic indicators such as housing, jobs, healthcare, etc… I have highlighted those items of particular interest to me here.

JOBS
American manufacturing jobs in 2000
17,263,000
American manufacturing jobs in 2006
14,197,000

U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Current Employment Statistics

ENERGY
Average price of home heating oil on January 3, 2000
$1.40/gallon
Average price of home heating oil on January 7, 2008
$3.39/gallon

United States Energy Information Administration. “U.S. Weekly No. 2 Heating Oil Residential Prices-cents per gallon.” December 24, 2007.
Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 3, 2000
$1.59
Average price of a gallon of gasoline on January 7, 2008
$3.14

United States Energy Administration. Retail Gasoline Historical Prices
Percentage increase in the average price of home heating oil since January 2000, percent
142 percent
Percentage increase in the average price of gasoline since January 2000,
98 percent
Inflation-adjusted price of a gallon of home heating oil, winter of 2001-2002
$1.36
Projected price of a gallon of home heating oil, winter of 2007-2008
$3.32

Selected U.S. Average Consumer, Table WF01, Energy Administration, January 2008
Exxon Mobil profits in 2000
$7.9 billion
Exxon Mobil profits in 2006
$36.1 billion
Exxon Mobil’s profit during the second quarter of 2006, per second
$1,318

CNNMoney.Com, Fortune 500 2006; Exxon Mobil; CNN.com, “Exxon Mobile makes more than $10 billion.” July 27, 2006.

DEBTS AND DEFICITS

U.S. trade deficit in October 2000, monthly
$33.8 billion
U.S. trade deficit in October 2007, monthly
$57.8 billion

U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics. December 12, 2007.
Value of one euro in dollars, January 2000
$1.01
Value of one euro in dollars, January 2008
$1.45
Loss of value of U.S. dollar relative to the euro, January 3, 2000-January 2, 2008, percentage
45

Federal Reserve Statistical Release. H-10 Historical Rates for Euro Area
Value of an ounce of gold, 2008
$892

“Hike Interest Rates, Lower the Hold Price?” National Review. March 30, 2006; GoldPrice.org 22 January 2008
U.S. budget balance in fiscal year 2000
$236 billion surplus
U.S. budget balance in fiscal year 2007
$354 billion deficit

House Office of Management and Budget. Historical Tables; White House Office of Management and Budget. “Table S-1. Budget Totals.”

The trade deficit is very significant because we can see the effects of a severe deficit right here in Coos County. Coos County imports goods and services far in excess of what it exports and our current economic decline reflects that imbalance. Expand that nationally and you have a picture of what our nation is or will soon be suffering.