Tracking the underwear index

Want to know how the economy is going? Have a look at the nearest male's underwear drawer Alan Greenspan suggests.

According to MSN Money, economists like Greenspan suggest men tend to put off buying new pairs of underwear when times are tough.

It's claimed that because men's underwear is rarely seen in public, its one of the first things scarified when the economy experiences a downturn and personal spending decreases.

But what does down must come up.

When economic conditions improve, underwear is said a solid early indicator as 'pent-up' demand sees men buying up big to replace their threadbare jocks.