Why It Feels Like The U.S. Is In A Recession

While a recession hasn’t technically been declared in the U.S., roughly 3 out of 5 Americans believe it is. Consumer confidence in the economy has averaged nearly 28 points lower during President Biden’s term compared to former President Trump’s time in office. So why does the U.S. economy feel so awful for the average consumer despite all the positive data?

“I think that the economy is really top of mind for people,” said Joanne W. Hsu, the director of the Surveys of Consumers at the University of Michigan. “We are in a very strange situation where people don’t feel like they’re thriving in spite of many strong indicators in the economy.”

The Biden administration has presided over the highest inflation in 40 years, hitting a four-decade peak of 9.1% in June 2022. While declining since then, stubborn inflation has eaten into American consumers’ purchasing power.

In May 2024, the Heritage Foundation estimated that the average, inflation-adjusted, weekly paycheck shrunk by about 4.4%,,or $50, during President Joe Biden’s term. That’s despite the fact that wages have risen faster under Biden than under former President Donald Trump’s administration, according to calculation by Bankrate.

“When you have buying power that’s been eroded, what in the past might have seemed like a necessity is all of a sudden at risk,” said Mark Hamrick, a senior economic analyst from Bankrate. “It feels recession-like to many.”

Watch the video above to see why the U.S. is experiencing recession-like symptoms.

Chapters:
1:27 Trump’s advantage
3:52 Bidenomics
7:24 Inflation

Produced by: Juhohn Lee
Edited by: Nora Rappaport
Animation: Christina Locopo
Supervising Producer: Lindsey Jacobson
Additional Footage: Getty Images

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Why It Feels Like The U.S. Is In A Recession