, Columnist
What Recession? It’s Looking Increasingly Unlikely
There is little reason to expect a slowdown in the US economy this year, if at all.
Sign of the times.
Photographer: Jeff Greenberg/Universal Images Group EditorialThis article is for subscribers only.
The few remaining signs that the US economy is headed for a recession are vanishing before our eyes.
Until recently it has been possible to squint at the data and see emerging weakness amid the headlines showing steady job growth. Now three of the most important such signs — downward revisions to the payroll data, a slowdown in rising claims for unemployment insurance, and an imbalance between job seekers and job openings — have withered away. As a result, there is little remaining reason to expect a recession this year, if at all.