It's a word not often heard in America since the 1970s: stagflation. The term describes a triple-whammy of terrible economic conditions — high unemployment, low growth, and supercharged inflation. Now, some economists are warning that a new era of stagflation could be on the horizon.
President Donald Trump's economic policies risk the "worst of all possible worlds: a kind of stagflation," Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said to The Guardian. Trump's "on-off tariff plans" and "apparent contempt for the rule of law" will make businesses less likely to invest. The sudden cancellation of U.S. government programs will create further uncertainty and will likely produce "inflation and a weak economy."
The last era of American stagflation occurred when "oil prices spiked during the Arab oil embargo" during the 1970s, according to CNN. The era left an imprint on many of today's economic policymakers. There was "10% unemployment," Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said during a speech in May. It was "high-single-digits inflation and very slow growth." The Fed ultimately defeated stagflation with bitter medicine: It "aggressively" raised interest rates and triggered a painful recession during the early 1980s.
New reports showing inflation rising back to 3% make the current moment feel like a "light version of the 1970s," said Edward Harrison at Bloomberg. It's now clear that inflation is sticky — "price moderation" bottomed out in September — and the Trump administration's "seriously inflationary policies" will only add to the upward price pressure.
There's "anxiety among economists" about a new era of "stagflation-light," said MarketWatch. The Trump administration's tariff announcements "make it harder for business to invest," while the promise of mass deportations could "dry up" the labor pool, forcing businesses to raise wages. The "remaining wild card" is spending. "Sharp cuts" to the federal budget would produce "another drag on the economy."
Trump's tariff maneuvering could decide what happens next. If tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada go into effect, analysts at Wells Fargo expect that U.S. GDP growth "would slow" even as inflation expectations would tick up, said Sourcing Journal. That could change if there are carve-outs for certain product categories or if the tariffs are only temporary. But persistent, widespread tariffs could lead to an ugly formula: "Negative growth along with an inflation boost equals stagflation."
President Donald Trump's economic policies risk the "worst of all possible worlds: a kind of stagflation," Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said to The Guardian. Trump's "on-off tariff plans" and "apparent contempt for the rule of law" will make businesses less likely to invest. The sudden cancellation of U.S. government programs will create further uncertainty and will likely produce "inflation and a weak economy."
The last era of American stagflation occurred when "oil prices spiked during the Arab oil embargo" during the 1970s, according to CNN. The era left an imprint on many of today's economic policymakers. There was "10% unemployment," Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said during a speech in May. It was "high-single-digits inflation and very slow growth." The Fed ultimately defeated stagflation with bitter medicine: It "aggressively" raised interest rates and triggered a painful recession during the early 1980s.
New reports showing inflation rising back to 3% make the current moment feel like a "light version of the 1970s," said Edward Harrison at Bloomberg. It's now clear that inflation is sticky — "price moderation" bottomed out in September — and the Trump administration's "seriously inflationary policies" will only add to the upward price pressure.
There's "anxiety among economists" about a new era of "stagflation-light," said MarketWatch. The Trump administration's tariff announcements "make it harder for business to invest," while the promise of mass deportations could "dry up" the labor pool, forcing businesses to raise wages. The "remaining wild card" is spending. "Sharp cuts" to the federal budget would produce "another drag on the economy."
Trump's tariff maneuvering could decide what happens next. If tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada go into effect, analysts at Wells Fargo expect that U.S. GDP growth "would slow" even as inflation expectations would tick up, said Sourcing Journal. That could change if there are carve-outs for certain product categories or if the tariffs are only temporary. But persistent, widespread tariffs could lead to an ugly formula: "Negative growth along with an inflation boost equals stagflation."