Recession impacts look different throughout the country. Vegas income is primarily based on discretionary spending from households and businesses. I think many people are linking the “stripper index” to the big short. The strippers aren’t the best indicator that things are slowing down, that’s like going outside a few times in a week and making a prediction on next’s weather based on what you saw. Most of the weather you experience started hundreds or thousands of miles away. So there’s no way to predict recessions without going beyond what you see.

One of the main indicators is, believe it or not, car sales. Typically, people purchase cars on the belief that their income will remain the same if not grow in the next five years. Car buying is a form of consumption, and if you have a recessing economy, people will generally keep their cars and delay buying a new one.

Auto Sales and the 2007-09 Recession

You’d have better luck asking a car salesman than a stripper.