Fewer Americans Fear Recession Is Imminent

Fear of an upcoming recession rose for most of 2019. Yield curves inverting and economies sputtering spelled out doom. But worry that a recession is just around the corner reached its apex in Q3 of the year. According to new data released in the Allianz Life Market Perceptions Study, recession worry was back to 2018 levels in Q4 of 2019. At the end of last year, 43 percent of Americans said they worried a recession was imminent.

Slightly less U.S. adults thought that a recession was not directly ahead, but on the horizon (39 percent, down from 48 percent in Q3). Yet, the recession scare might have left some Americans wary of investing. The number of respondents saying it was a good time to invest in the market decreased throughout 2019, from 41 percent in Q1 to only 34 percent in Q4.