Economy is slowing drastically in south Texas. Lot of the other plumbers I know are being laid off or sent home early for days in a row. New construction has all but fallen off. I am the lead on three new homes and a half dozen or more remodels. All 3 new homes are on hiatus until beginning of the year due to cash flow Issues. Except for two remodels, all the others are on hold. Our daily service calls are dwindling down to a half a day or so’s worth of work daily. My neighbor pours concrete- he has been home every day this week, employees can’t use their tools because there isn’t shit to do.

Unemployment here is up anecdotally- due to being a tradie for so long most of the other folks I know are also tradesmen of some sort. I ran into a framing carpenter I’ve know for over 20 years who is working a second job as a gas station attendant just to have some money coming in. One of the painters I used to call to repair drywall after I cut walls open to fix plumbing is no longer painting, he went back to school to get certified to teach school.

Something is happening. I’m too dumb to understand it tho.

Everyone seems to forget that a significant economic downturn started in late 2019 and it was only the unprecedented stimulus in response to the pandemic that staved it off. Well now here we are almost five years later with most of that stimulus cut off and in a much worse international position. They're just trying to pretend it isn't falling apart through the election but next year we're in for a bad time.

Soft landing?

I thought the economy was growing? https://www.npr.org/2024/07/27/nx-s1-5052073/treasury-sec-janet-yellen-says-the-u-s-economy-is-growing-within-the-ideal-range

Soft landing, but WHERE?

Janet Yelling about some bullshit again, more like.

I found a YouTube link in your post. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

• yewtu.be
• inv.nadeko.net
• yt.artemislena.eu
• piped.video