When looking to protect your financial future in today’s COVID-19 environment, it’s essential to understand how the economy functions on a historical basis as it relates to the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and the stock market.
The U.S. unemployment rate is the percentage of unemployed workers in the total labor force and indicates the health of the U.S. economy. COVID-19 has significantly impacted unemployment to record numbers not previously seen since the government began tracking the data in 1939. COVID-19 has surpassed The Great Depression in the amount of unemployed and the economic fallout to businesses and workers.
When the U.S. economy is stagnant, the U.S. Government uses fiscal and monetary tools to stimulate the U.S. economy. However, with our economy facing multiple problems, that may not be an ‘easy fix’ in comparison to past recessions. COVID-19, social unrest, permanent business closings, and an upside-down GDP may prove to be difficult problems to overcome in the near term.