Anna Helhoski

The state of the economy is generally strong and inflation is slowing down, but still remains elevated. The Federal Reserve made its first cut of 2025 on Sept. 17.

The conventional benchmark has been that two consecutive quarters of a generally slowing economy defines a recession. Therefore, the U.S. is not in a recession.

So far in 2025, some 218 tech companies have laid off more than 112,000 employees, according to layoffs.fyi.

Consumer sentiment, also known as consumer confidence, measures how U.S. consumers feel about the economy, wages, jobs and their personal finances.

Rents were up 3.5% in September, compared to the same time last year, according to the latest consumer price index report.

Inflation is measured by three different indexes that track price changes that consumers and businesses pay over time.

The trade war with China has been relit, as Trump threatened a new 100% tariff on Chinese goods in response to a move to limit rare earth mineral exports.

On May 8, the U.S. and Britain reached a trade deal that lowers the 25% reciprocal tariff on British imports to 10%.

Unemployment is at 3.6% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The state of the economy is generally strong and inflation is slowing down, but still remains elevated. The Federal Reserve is looking at key economic indicators to signal it’s time to cut rates.