SummaryResidual terms—a source of ordered information in regression analysisAlthough in regression analysis residual terms seem to represent chaos, they can be used to complement the original hypothesis in a theoretically acceptable way. This is demonstrated with an example: the construction of a wage rate equation for the Dutch economy 1923—1938 and 1949—1957. Extrapolation of the equation for the years 1958 and 1959 and its application to the United States economy 1931—1958 provide a primiti