Economy News The Bad Vibes Economy

Consumer confidence slides in December as bad vibes about the economy persist

The Conference Board’s reading for consumer confidence ticked lower in December to reach 89.1, while consumers’ take on current business and labor market conditions also dropped compared to November’s ... Read More

The South’s biggest economic draw is slowly coming back

Here in Atlanta, as in much of the American South, the economic vibes have been bad this year. Not recessionary perhaps, it’s felt more like we lost momentum and got ... Read More

We’re in a ‘windchill’ economy, where things feel worse than they are

People feel like their dollars aren’t stretching as far as before, and the cost of living is rising beyond their means. There’s just one problem: That part is not true. Most Americans are getting ... Read More

10 questions for 2026’s do-it-yourself economic forecast

Your observations of local commerce – and what you hear from family, friends, etc. – are just as legitimate as fancy calculations of a professor or an economic analyst. Read More

The Trump Vibe Shift Is Dead

In January, I made a prediction: “I suspect we are at or near the peak of Trump vibes.” Now, as this long year grinds to its end, I think it can be said more declaratively: The Trump vibe shift is ... Read More

Why investors see Friday's inflation report as a gut check of vibes on the economy

Stocks may be back near record territory, but jitters around stubbornly high inflation and a weakening job market have investors on edge Friday's late-arriving inflation report could serve as a ... Read More

How’s Minnesota’s economy? The answer depends on your income bracket

On paper, Minnesota’s economy looks solid. Jobs remain near record highs. Economic output is growing. Major employers, from the Mayo Clinic to 3M, are hiring. And the state’s unemployment rate remains ... Read More

Hiltzik: How bad is Trump's economy? Election results say it's very bad, and getting worse

It was Bill Clinton's campaign guru James Carville who codified the insight that the Democratic Party's electoral prospects were destined to rise as Americans' feelings of economic well-being slid: ... Read More