Is the country heading toward a recession? Are we already there? If so, for how long will it last Or, will we narrowly avoid a recession and instead see a mere economic slowdown as we (hopefully) put the global pandemic in our collective rearview mirror?

The answers to these questions are unclear. Inflation and interest rates are rising, yet the economy added 528,000 new jobs in July and unemployment is at a pre-pandemic level of 3.5%. Moreover, by the time you read this, the Inflation Reduction Act may have been signed into law.