One thing I have noticed a lot this year is lots of help wanted ads and notices, just around larger towns. Companies like Target, many restaurants,gas stations, other places that serve the public. Even the local police put out a notice for hiring. These may not all be high paying jobs, but I wasnt seeing these kind of notices a couple of years ago.
Unemployment, no matter how you measure it, as long as your rmethod hasnt changed,, is certainly now better than at the bottom 6 years ago. Its officailly about 5%.
Is this carrying over to aviation? I am not sure, it seems to this casual observer that there is a market for ultra high end corp jets, but just looking at FBOs I am not sure I see more activity in general. I hear a fair number of training flights on the radio. Lower fuel prices are a nice bonus, and I dont see or hear as many complaints about fuel costs in the past.
If one uses attendance at sporting events like football or EAA, as somewhat related to gen economic activielty, likelhood of consumers to spend, then I think EAA was pretty well attended probably not a record and people seem to be going to games, at least the big ones.
But hey, dont get too giddy, bottle water is still $3 at EAA. What a major factor!