Part 10/11:
The Road Ahead: From No Hiring to Major Firing
Leading economists, including Federal Reserve officials like Jerome Powell, have warned that the transition to a full-blown downturn can happen rapidly. With the current trends already visible in layoffs, credit delinquencies, and employment indices, the next phase—marked by substantial job losses—appears imminent.
Target, UPS, and other major corporations have signaled that the flattening of the beverage curve signifies not just slowing hiring but an outright shift to layoffs. As firms realize that future economic recovery is unlikely to meet optimistic forecasts, they will accelerate firing—leading to a more pronounced downturn.