New look for the Business Cycle Tracer
Statistics Netherlands first launched its Business Cycle Tracer at the end of 2005, and it quickly established itself as a focal point of our updates on the Dutch economy. Every month, the fifteen carefully selected indicators combine to show in one snapshot whether the economy is performing “well” or “poorly” (above or below the long-term trend) and whether its is “improving” or “deteriorating” (increase or decrease compared with the previously measured period). By showing these snapshots consecutively, a film emerges of the development of the business cycle.
New application options
Statistics Netherlands has placed an increasing number of interactive graphs on its website in the last few years. The design of Business Cycle Tracer has been altered somewhat, so that it is more in keeping with the more recent website infographics. In addition, new application options have been made available.
New toolbar
A new toolbar has been placed in the top right-hand corner. By clicking on the left-hand button users can embed the Tracer on other websites. Clicking on the middle button lets users save the image of the tracer in PDF. The right-hand button provides options for changing various settings, for example displaying or not displaying the units on the axes and the explanation figures for the quadrants. The speed of the animation can also be adjusted, and there is a repeat play option. It is also possible to move through the timeline by year instead of by month.
Trail
On the right-hand side of the Tracer, next to the indicator selection column, a new column has been added making it possible to display a trail for each indicator. The trail shows how that indicator developed in the preceding period. The length of the period – and thus the trail - can be set between one month and five years.