Vibecession
When people feel the economy is in a recession even though the main data says it isn't.
In plain English
When people feel the economy is in a recession even though the main data says it isn't.
A vibecession is a recession of the vibes. The term was coined in 2022 by writer Kyla Scanlon to describe a strange gap: US unemployment was low and growth was solid, but surveys showed consumers felt terrible, mostly because of the sting of higher prices and interest rates.
It matters because mood shapes spending and voting. Traders watch sentiment surveys alongside the hard data to see whether feelings are catching up with reality, or the reverse.
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