Column Inside America: Strong numbers, mood in the basement: What's going on with the US economy?
The economy is growing, unemployment is low – and US citizens are taking to the barricades. Rarely have official figures and perceived truth diverged more widely than now.
A friend of mine struggles to comprehend the world. She is a graduate of Berkeley, an elite university, yet she struggles to find employment. "I have submitted over 100 job applications, and most often, I receive no rejection," she complains. Her frustration is shared by many: According to a new CNN poll, only 23% of Americans believe the economy is in good shape, while 75% view the situation as poor.
Is this justified? No, statisticians disagree. The U.S. economy appears robust on paper: Forecasts estimate a growth rate of over 2% in 2026. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%, and recent unemployment insurance applications hit their lowest level since 1969. Furthermore, no other place on Earth generates as much wealth as the U.S., thanks to the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.
Projections suggest that this year alone, BSE listings from SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI could create approximately 12,000 new millionaires.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
