[Question] Unemployment is staggeringly high, yet the Indexes provide a different outlook. Why?

[SententiaSolutions]

The Recession of 2008, produced scholarly words in intensity, from Recession to “Worst” Recession and now the “Great” Recession. Organizations have seen a corrosion of value, both in terms of reporting losses and more so with unemployment. People have lost their fortunes, homes, and retirement funding because of the avarice of others. Unemployment (currently trending in S.A. is 24%) remains stupefying and stagnant. Yet like everything else there are winners and losers. The Dow Jones Industrial index moved from an all-time low of 7,000 points in 2009 to 12,400 points (May 31, 2011), without the discipline of increased employment. A possible postulate - the world currency of trade, the USD, losing its bedrock of strength. The more the USD losses it’s value, the more affordable it is for people invest in the US. So my investments are better served offshore, then in-house (S.A.). Agree or disagree, the platform is open for discussion.

[Dave A]

I think there's far too much sentiment leverage in stock indexes to consider them a reasonable benchmark of economic strength.

That doesn't really answer the question on local vs cross-border investment performance prospects, though