22 Key Numbers Changed by the Crash

One year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Americans are still feeling the effects of the credit crisis that roiled the financial system and crashed the stock market. Many are searching for jobs, recalibrating their investments or quietly licking their wounds. In many cases, their story comes down to a number. And, in many cases, it’s lower than it used to be.

SmartMoney.com gathered several pieces of economic and cultural data to create a snapshot of the country before and after the crash.

Unemployment rate
Aug. 2008: 6.1%
Aug. 2009: 9.7%
Source: Labor Department

People working part-time for economic reasons
Aug. 2008: 5.7 million
Aug. 2009: 9.1 million
Source: Labor Department

Dow Jones Industrial Average close
Sept. 12, 2008: 11,422
Sept. 11, 2009: 9,605

Price of gold
Sept. 12, 2008: $750.25 per ounce
Sept. 11, 2009: $1,006.40 per ounce

Consumer Confidence Index
Aug. 2008: 58.5
Aug. 2009: 54.1
Source: The Conference Board

President’s approval rating
Sept. 8-11, 2008: 31%
Sept. 5-8, 2009: 51%
Source: Gallup

Price of a gallon of gasoline
Sept. 15, 2008: $3.867
Sept. 7, 2009: $2.519
Source: Energy Department

Price of a gallon of milk
July 2008: $3.96
July 2009: $2.99
Source: Labor Department

Average price of a SanDisk 2-Gigabyte Secure Digital Card
Sept. 9, 2008: $13.10
Sept. 9, 2009: $11.38
Source: PriceGrabber.com

Manufacturer’s suggested retail price of a new Ford Focus
2009 model: $15,520 (up 7.8% from 2008 model)
2010 model: $15,995 (up 3.1% from 2009 model)
Source: Consumer Guide Automotive

S&P/Case-Shiller home price index for 20 U.S. metropolitan regions
June 2008: 167.69
June 2009: 141.31
Source: Standard & Poor’s