Out of curiosity, I peruse the online to see who remains to be saying a recession is coming (with an open thoughts). This tweet suggests retail gross sales are the indicator de jour:
Supply: Alex Joosten (2024).
Fairly convincing, for the previous 3 recessions. Nevertheless, the post-pandemic increase in consumption and retail spending is sort of outstanding, so I assumed it could be helpful to contemplate an extended span of information, utilizing inflation adjusted retail gross sales. That is the image I acquired, for 1947-2024M04.
Determine 1: Actual retail gross sales (FRED sequence RSALES) (tan), and actual retail and meals service gross sales (FRED sequence RSAFS) (blue), in mn.1982-84$, deflated utilizing FRED sequence CPIAUCSL. NBER outlined peak-to-trough recession dates shaded grey. Supply: FRED, NBER.
It’s definitely true that retail gross sales flatten and even decline in some instances earlier than a recession (as outlined by the NBER). Alternatively, every of the earlier instances, retail gross sales was deviating from a pre-recession development. Is that this true on this case? With out figuring out if an incipient recession is simply upon us, I can’t reply that. Nevertheless, I can consider whether or not retail and meals gross sales, deflated by the CPI, was deviating from the 2016-19 (stochastic) development.
Determine 2: Actual retail and meals service gross sales (FRED sequence RSAFS) (blue), in mn.1982-84$, deflated utilizing FRED sequence CPIAUCSL. NBER outlined peak-to-trough recession dates shaded grey. Supply: FRED, NBER.
So, by one metric, we must be fearful. By one other (deviation from development), possibly not.
