Nearly every corporate executive surveyed by Stifel Financial said the U.S. economy is either in
a recession or headed towards one in the next few months.
Among 70 business leaders surveyed, 97% believe the U.S. economy is either already in a
recession or will face one within 18 months. Only 3% of business leaders polled said a
recession can be avoided.
The study also found that inflation and a tight labour market represent the two biggest threats to
running a business right now.
And the poll found that 53% of executives believe that inflation will be an ongoing issue for the
next two quarters to a year, with another 43% expecting high consumer prices to persist for
even longer.
The most recent Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a moderate slowdown in U.S. inflation,
reflecting a drop in gasoline prices. U.S. inflation in July rose 8.5% from a year ago, down from
an annualized rate of 9.1% in June.
The Stifel Financial survey focused on corporate executives, business owners and private
equity investors in the consumer, retail, and diversified industrials sectors.
