this post was submitted on 28 Oct 2025
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I've read a good amount about this, and while by traditional measures there isn't technically a recession, many real‑world signs make it feel like one. What do we think? I don't think this breaks the 6 rule, it's an economic question.

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[–] Cptn_Slow@lemmy.world 71 points 5 months ago (4 children)

Part of me wonders if it's a recession, or if the ultra rich have finally squeezed everyone to the point it feels like one.

I've made more money this year than I ever thought I would, like double the most my parents have ever made and yet it doesn't feel like I thought it would.

[–] andrewrgross@slrpnk.net 20 points 5 months ago

The question "are we in a recession??" always makes me think of the SNL at-home headache test commercial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bKgsR_9qa4

[–] triptrapper@lemmy.world 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Same. Even adjusting for inflation, if I went back and told myself 10 years ago what I'd be earning in 2025, past me would think it's "buy-whatever-I-want-money." I can buy everything I need, but I never seem to have much left over.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 months ago

The fuck do you do that generates money?

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 1 points 5 months ago

Part of me wonders if it’s a recession, or if the ultra rich have finally squeezed everyone to the point it feels like one

What's the difference?

[–] radix@lemmy.world 40 points 5 months ago

there isn't technically a recession

And if the economy were shrinking, would the US government statisticians actually release reliable data that says so?

[–] jordanlund@lemmy.world 32 points 5 months ago

Like a lot of good questions... "it depends".

Good read here!

https://fortune.com/2025/10/09/america-feels-recession-state-dependent-income-cohort-moody-zandi/

Some states, yes. Some, no.

Some states will get pushed to "Yes" if SNAP benefits are reduced or eliminated.

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 32 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

The numbers were always a little sketchy and politically filtered, but now you can't trust/use any information. The institutions are gone, political hacks are in charge and truth is dead.

[–] Geobloke@aussie.zone 24 points 5 months ago (3 children)
[–] Corporal_Punishment@feddit.uk 18 points 5 months ago (1 children)

And as soon as they do Trump will declare them traitors and demand the head is fired

[–] roserose56@lemmy.zip 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, no, they will be deported! shall we have a bingo card or something like this?

[–] prex@aussie.zone 4 points 5 months ago

My bingo card mysteriously self-combusted & started a house fire.

[–] stsquad@lemmy.ml 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Anyone working there during the shutdown?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

if you're a fed worker, i HOPE NOT. people are still earning enough in tech that they arnt worried about financies right now.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 2 points 5 months ago

You mean, the ones who haven't been fired yet

[–] semisimian@startrek.website 22 points 5 months ago

I don't know if this link will work, but Moody's just released a statement that almost half of US states are in a recession. Closer Look on GPB had a Moody's economist on their podcast today:

Episode webpage: https://omny.fm/shows/closer-look-with-rose-scott/moodys-analytics-says-georgia-nearing-a-recession

Media file: https://traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/5ec71174-b7c1-46da-88de-b18e00b479cf/f19721af-787e-47a2-8a86-b21601287a49/dccc9b95-fd96-45f9-9666-b3830116851a/audio.mp3?in_playlist=305c7afa-a1e0-4df6-8157-b21601287a62

[–] spittingimage@lemmy.world 22 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Based on what I've been reading, it would be in a recession if not for the AI investment money flooding into the tech sector. Let's hope AI lives up to the hype, eh?

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 25 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This has been called out as a bubble bigger than Too Big To Fail by everyone on every side of the political spectrum but ancaps.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 7 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I'd compare it to the dotcom bubble. A lot of companies are going to die by AI. A few will thrive.

[–] Maeve@kbin.earth 2 points 5 months ago

We will see, I suppose.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 5 months ago

ive seen a ton of startups on AI, and some are leaning heavily into it, both of these will be the first to go.

[–] DupaCycki@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago

Wikipedia says:

In the United States, a recession is defined as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the market, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales." The European Union has adopted a similar definition. In the United Kingdom and Canada, a recession is defined as negative economic growth for two consecutive quarters.

So technically, looks like there isn't a recession. Though a huge chunk of US GDP is just imaginary and doesn't represent any value, so realistically probably yes.

[–] AshMan85@lemmy.world 16 points 5 months ago (1 children)

we are in a recession and knocking on the door of a 2nd great depression

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] gaiussabinus@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago (1 children)

You have had an almost 20 years of recession since 2008. The global economy never recovered to the previous trend. So if you think things are getting bad and then worse, you are correct.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 4 points 5 months ago

08 was never fully fixed, its only been delayed again. 1 of things that never recovered was jobs in many fields, i felt like alot of jobs for stem just wouldnt hire people at the low-levels anymore, they just steal peoples resume and use it to screen the rest out, probably looking for the people lucky enough to have 1-2 years of experience to exploit. plus in biotech there has been a silent push for women to be hired since they are surpassing men in biology degrees 60/40%, even in my university, the people in bio class/class labs were mostly women, and the male/female PI favored women in thier volunteer labs over men by alot.

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Nope, the populace is under stupid strain, but the economy is just slow, not contracting.

Given everything that is going with AI and Trump though, it probably would be a good idea to be prepared for one hell of a recession next year.

[–] IronBird@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

if you remove the AI circular spending bubble, we are 100% in a recession already.

and that's if you trust the data, which arguably has been far too fucked with to be useful for years now.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Should be in freefall by next November. Good news for the midterms.. I guess.

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

There tends to be a political backlash after presidential turn over, all the added backlash on this mid term is going to be epic before even taking the economy into account.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 3 points 5 months ago

republican made sure thier recent bills , the backlash would be recieved by the incoming democrats in the midterms and the next presidency. this is always how they get re-elected again. if republicans still remain the majority they are in deep trouble.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 5 months ago

we will see once the holidays hit, and no new tourism is coming to the states that wasnt planned like a year in advance.

[–] happydoors@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago (3 children)

People around me have been saying it feels like the start of a depression, not just recession. Are those different?

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 14 points 5 months ago (1 children)

a recession means you might lose your job

a depression means you might lose everything

unless you own it, it can be taken from you in both scenarios.

[–] happydoors@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

When you say it like that and I think of my generation and younger that is stuck renting and student loans… maybe I don’t actually own much of anything and if this pattern continues for a long time I could lose everything? I wonder how many more are like me in the same boat. But yeah, for now, it’s not that severe. Thanks for the perspective and help.

[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

The 2008 recession saw a GDP contraction of 4.3%. The Great Depression was 29%.

People are saying "depression" because we're facing many of the same issues as in October, 1929.

  • Radical wealth disparity
  • Monopolies
  • Unregulated capitalism
  • Grossly inflated stock market
  • Incompetent Executive branch
  • Massive tariff expansions

We are in deep shit. AI investment is the only thing keeping the economic numbers looking good, and that bubble is going to pop far harder than the dotcom crash. 7 companies hold 40% of the stock market's value (or is it S&P 500?) and everyone of them is all in on AI.

I expect a series of mini crashes where they halt trading to stave off panic. No idea how that plays IRL though, may be very wrong.

[–] PolydoreSmith@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago
[–] r0ertel@lemmy.world 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The US is not in a recession as of this posting date. I read something recently from Fidelity Investments that suggests that the US is heading toward a recession.

Your exact question was found on the Q&A page

Supporting evidence Key takeaways

  • The US economy continues to grow, although it is sending some mixed signals.
    
  • Corporate earnings remain strong even as consumer expectations sag.
    
  • US tariff policy remains uncertain, and much of the impact from tariff hikes is still ahead.
    

Additionally, you may find this page interesting. It charts the business cycle across countries and quarters. If you play with the selections, you'll see that countries' economies do not always progress forward, nor are the rates of change consistent, so the page is not a predictor of what's to come.

FWIW, a financial advisor that I know said that his company is recommending that their investors shift to a portfolio with more foreign investments.

[–] roofuskit@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

If you did not include AI spending we would be in a recession. So for most regular working people 100% we are in recession. Shit is going to pop off when SNAP is allowed to run out.

[–] GreenKnight23@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

@higgsboson@piefed.social up in here downvote bombing everyone alone

lol

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

Depression

The recession started in 2019