NEW YORK - A fast-moving economy doesn't stop for photographs.

        But since terrorist attacks last September jolted an already unsteady economy, the consumers, investors, businesses and workers who populate it have scrambled to get a fix on the changes unleashed, large and small.

        Not all the changes in the nation's economic life are the direct result of the attacks. But random snapshots offer some insight into how the economic climate has changed - and how it hasn't.

Travel habits shift

        A year ago, the average New York hotel room cost almost $189 a night, according to PKF Consulting, a hotel advisory firm. But a severe drop-off in business travelers pushed the average bill down to about $169 as of July, the latest month for which complete figures are available. Occupancy rates have fallen only slightly, about 1.8 percent, because bargain-shopping casual tourists have replaced free-spending business travelers.

        In cities like New Orleans and Dallas, however, room rates have risen modestly since last year.

        The change in tourism is also evident at Grand Canyon National Park, where the number of visitors has dropped 5.2 percent through July, to 2.6 million.

Flying costs less

        The drop in demand for air tickets has pressured carriers to cut prices. The average price for a passenger sitting in coach on a 1,000-mile domestic flight was $100.32 in July, according to the Air Transport Association. The same fare a year earlier was $110.50.

Unemployment up

        Job prospects also have gotten tougher. The nation's unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent in August 2001. It had risen to 5.7 percent a year later.

        Some of the most severe job cuts have come in industries such aerospace, with a direct link to the attacks. In September 2001, there were 93,000 employees at Boeing Co.'s commercial airplanes division, the world's largest commercial jet manufacturer. A year later, the Renton, Wash.-based unit had 67,800 workers.

Insurance soars

        The past year has seen sharply higher bills for business owners shopping for insurance. Premiums were already rising, up about 10 percent to 15 percent, before last September's attacks. But worries of future attacks have made insurance even pricier.

        Last year, a business with $1 million in annual revenues would've expected to pay about $5,550 for commercial insurance and related costs. But that has jumped about 30 percent to $7,220, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Great time to borrow

        For consumers, though, the economic tremors of the past year have in some ways made life easier, as Federal Reserve policymakers cut interest rates.

        A year ago, homebuyers signing up for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage were locking in at an average interest rate of 6.89 percent, according to Freddie Mac, the mortgage company. As of last week, the average rate for the same loan was down to 6.15 percent, the lowest since Freddie Mac began tracking three decades ago.

For the nation, a mixed bag
Tristate businesses adapt
Vacant office space sold
$2M expansion planned for sports complex
Industry notes: Banking
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