Attention, jittery investors: Stop panicking … this is what a soft landing should look like

Dark skies ahead?
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Christopher Decker, University of Nebraska Omaha

What a difference a job report makes. Earlier in the summer, people were worried that the economy was too hot. But now – in response mainly to weaker-than-expected employment data released on Aug. 2, 2024 – stocks are plunging. Some analysts even worry that a recession could be on the horizon.

As a professor of business economics...