Part 8/11:
The corporate landscape has also seen an influx of debt as private equity firms engage in leveraged buyouts—acquiring businesses using borrowed money and putting considerable strain on these companies to meet repayment obligations. Increasing corporate debt levels correlate with reduced job opportunities, especially in small communities where local businesses are absorbed by larger investment firms.
This concentrated business model limits employee options for negotiating better wages or conditions, as multiple local businesses fall under the ownership of a single entity. When entrepreneurship is stifled, the ambition to innovate and start new ventures wanes, resulting in a stagnant economic environment driven by few large players.