Part 4/11:
Consumer confidence continues to dip as individuals internalize the potential risks of unemployment. Many fear that if they were to lose their job, they would have nowhere to turn. Initial unemployment claims remain relatively low, suggesting that while companies are not firing workers en masse, they are far from hiring. This stagnation—marked by low hiring rates—denotes a problematic trend, as recessions arise primarily from a lack of hiring activity rather than a wave of firings.