Risks of a Possible Global Recession to the Economic Outlook

Jul 28, 2022

Will there be a global recession in 2022? Many experts believe that it is inevitable. International regulators and governments may find it challenging to steer the economy to a smooth landing, in contrast to the previous recession in 2008–2009. What actions can governments and experts take to address the numerous difficulties brought on by the looming economic downturn?

An economic downturn is referred to as a recession. It is often quantified by two consecutive quarters of economic contraction, as shown by a nation's GDP in conjunction with other important indicators. Since the industrial revolution, economic growth has been the predominant long-term macroeconomic pattern in most countries. However, from time to time, these expansionary phases are interspersed with a risk of recession in 2022.

Before the year started, labor and supply-chain restrictions were causing inflation, but the Russian invasion of Ukraine and China's zero-COVID policy worsened matters. To keep up with inflation, central banks have been compelled to raise interest rates quickly and probably higher than anticipated. But those measures risk causing economies to cool off too much and fall into recession. So the question is, what is the impact of a recession?

This Recession Will be Much Different than the 2009 Recession

Business executives must plan for a recession that will be very different from the past while also taking lessons from the recession of 2009. The lack of credit and the ensuing credit crisis were the leading causes of the economic downturn in 2009. The recession was highly unpleasant for the world economy. Still, it was quickly over after the financial markets were stabilized and people's faith in the banking and financial sectors was restored.

Three things that will probably cause our unstable economy to enter a depression are:

  • The protracted conflict in Ukraine.
  • The economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
  • The supply chain instability.
  • Persistent energy problems.

Although the financial system is in a better position than it was in 2009, central banks won't be able to repair it by injecting more liquidity into the system. Additionally, runaway inflation is a problem that needs to be addressed, and the only way to do so is by raising interest rates above the inflation rate. There will undoubtedly be a global recession in 2022 after these interest rates are increased.

Since there hasn't been a recession in 15 years, many businesses that ought to have restructured did not because of low lending rates and other central bank policies. Due to the excessive levels of debt that many firms have accrued due to the low-interest rates, many of them will need to work quickly to repair their balance sheets when the recession comes, and interest rates start to climb. Additionally, the recession 2022 housing market is one of the industries greatly affected by this economic downfall. Many homeowners may take advantage to sell their houses with great interest, but the number of buyers will decrease and be limited.

US Outlook

First, the inverted yield curve in late 2018 and early 2019—which has previously been associated with recessions—led analysts to forecast that the US economy will enter at risk of recession in 2022. Some sectors of the US economy did have economic difficulties in 2019, partly as a result of the political unpredictability and turbulence caused by the administration's policies, particularly the US-China trade war. The trade war has already reduced real exports, imports, and GDP while also causing market uncertainty. The trade war may result in an average tariff on American imports of 6%, the highest level in this century, answering the question, what is the impact of a recession? This would drive businesses and their supply chains to undertake disruptive changes, which would eventually have a ripple impact on the economy. A manufacturing slowdown, dropping share prices, low investment, declining company confidence, and financial stress are some specific effects that can be observed.

However, as the two nations resolve their trade conflict, forecasts for a US recession have diminished. Economic indicators have remained upbeat despite a manufacturing and industrial production slowdown. Corporate confidence will be boosted by indications of a trade war settlement, while consumer confidence is still high as a result of a strong labor market and low inflation rates. The federal fund rate is 1.75 percent as of December 16, 2019. Although the Federal Reserve has chosen a strategy of lowering interest rates to encourage growth and draw in more investment, it is doubtful that rates will be dropped anymore. Therefore, it is conceivable that fiscal policy will replace monetary policy everywhere, not only in the US.

Downturn in Asia

The effects of the US-China trade dispute and the economic crisis in Sri Lanka will be felt globally for some time. Trade between nations will fall into a protectionist climate as governments retreat inward, leading to a general lack of confidence in investment, especially in the recession 2022 housing market. China is also feeling the effects of the trade war; while the country is not yet in a recession, its economy is still slowing, with a growth of less than 6 percent predicted for 2020—the weakest since its first quarter in 1992. To stabilize the economy, Beijing is still relaxing monetary policy but is increasingly relying on fiscal policy, such as tax cuts and infrastructure expenditures. Hong Kong is an additional source of economic and financial danger in the Asian continent. The financial center has experienced months of social and political unrest driven by protests that have hurt the economy and sent it into a technical recession. Industries like tourism have been hit particularly hard, with GDP contracting by 3.2 percent in the third quarter and 2.9 percent by the end of 2019. If political unrest persists in 2020, Hong Kong's reliance on its core industries of financial services, tourism, and export trade puts the region more vulnerable to the significant risk of recession in 2022 in Asia.

Building in Redundancies  

Due to the pandemic, more businesses are considering adding redundancy to their supply chains to improve their resilience. Companies that depend significantly on imports from China would be obliged to speed up their supply chains to build a safety net in case the Chinese supply chain is disrupted. Their profit margins will be significantly impacted, but it will save them from shutting down their operation if the supply chain is disrupted due to the global recession in 2022. 

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