Part 2/18:
At first glance, the employment landscape appears relatively healthy. The United States, for example, maintains an unemployment rate around 4.3% as of August 2025, a figure that traditionally signals a robust economy. However, a deeper analysis reveals cracks in this facade. Countries like Germany and China are experiencing rising unemployment—Germany crossing 3 million unemployed for the first time in a decade, and Chinese youth unemployment nearing 18%.
In the U.S., hiring has notably cooled. The once-bustling help-wanted signs are fading, and for the first time since 2021, unemployed Americans outnumber available job openings—7.24 million unemployed versus 7.18 million job postings. This reversal indicates a shift in power dynamics, favoring employers and signaling sluggish growth.