{"id":11235,"date":"2019-01-02T11:25:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-02T11:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/litci.org\/en\/?p=11235"},"modified":"2019-01-02T11:25:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-02T11:25:00","slug":"forecast-for-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/litci.org\/en\/forecast-for-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Forecast for 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Well, there has not been a year starting like this for a long time.\u00a0 The US government is in disarray.\u00a0\u00a0The President of the Unites States starts the second half of his four-year term having lost his majority in the lower house of Congress to the Democrats in a heavy polling defeat last November.<\/em> <!--more--><\/p>\n<p>By Michael Roberts<\/p>\n<p>He starts with an acting chief of staff, an acting secretary of defense, an acting attorney general, an acting EPA administrator, no interior secretary and no ambassador to the UN. His former campaign manager, deputy campaign manager, national security adviser and personal lawyer have all pleaded guilty to criminal offences.\u00a0 And the investigation by special prosecutor Mueller on the connections between the Trump presidential campaign and Russian intelligence will be stepped up.\u00a0 Meanwhile, one-quarter of government departments are closed because of Trump\u2019s budget fight with Congress.<\/p>\n<p>Also the geopolitical environment has turned toxic.\u00a0 The Trump administration has picked a fight with China\u00a0over trade and technical know-how\u00a0that threatens to intensify when the current \u2018pause\u2019 on the tit-for-tat trade tariffs ends in March.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry\">\n<p>This time last year, Trump was boasting that the US economy was booming, with record highs for the US stock market.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2017\/12\/29\/forecast-for-2018-the-trend-and-the-cycles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Back then<\/a>, I said that\u00a0<em>\u201cWhat seems to have happened is that there has been a short-term cyclical recovery from mid-2016, after a near global recession from the end of 2014-mid 2016.\u00a0 If the trough of this Kitchin cycle was in mid-2016, the peak should be in 2018, with a swing down again after that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15566\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=450&#038;h=294&#038;fit=450%2C294&#038;resize=450%2C294\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=150&amp;h=98 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=300&amp;h=196 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"294\" data-attachment-id=\"15566\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-1\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=450&amp;h=294\" data-orig-size=\"450,294\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=450&amp;h=294?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-1.png?w=450&amp;h=294?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/04\/20\/global-economy-peaked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in April 2018, I posted<\/a>\u00a0that I thought the short boom in 2017 from the mini-recession of 2015-6 was over and that world growth had peaked.\u00a0\u00a0And so it has proved.\u00a0 2018 has ended with real GDP growth starting to slow nearly everywhere.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-15567\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=272&#038;h=436&#038;fit=272%2C436&#038;resize=272%2C436\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=272&amp;h=436 272w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=94&amp;h=150 94w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png 292w\" alt=\"\" width=\"272\" height=\"436\" data-attachment-id=\"15567\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=272&amp;h=436\" data-orig-size=\"292,468\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=272&amp;h=436?w=187\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-2.png?w=272&amp;h=436?w=292\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And at the end of 2018, stock markets suffered the deepest fall since the global financial crash in 2008.\u00a0 Current US treasury secretary Mnuchin panicked and called a meeting of the top six US banks on Xmas eve to check that they were confident of standing firm, only making things worse.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15568\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=450&#038;h=281&#038;fit=450%2C281&#038;resize=450%2C281\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=450&amp;h=281 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=150&amp;h=94 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=300&amp;h=187 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg 750w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"281\" data-attachment-id=\"15568\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=450&amp;h=281\" data-orig-size=\"750,468\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 3\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=450&amp;h=281?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-3.jpg?w=450&amp;h=281?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2016\/07\/17\/stock-markets-profits-and-irrationality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">As I have argued before<\/a>, Marx said that what drives stock market prices is the difference between interest rates and the overall rate of profit. What has kept stock market prices rising since 2009 has been the very low level of long-term interest rates, deliberately engendered by central banks like the Federal Reserve around the world, with zero short-term rates and quantitative easing (buying financial assets with credit injections).\u00a0 The gap between returns on investing in the stock market and the cost of borrowing to do so has been high.<\/p>\n<p>But in 2018 investors in fictitious capital (stocks and bonds) perceived that this situation was changing.\u00a0 Interest rates are on the rise (driven by the US Fed) and there are signs that the recovery in the rate of return on capital in the major economies has peaked and is reversing.\u00a0\u00a0US growth peaked in Q2 at a 4% annual rate and Q4 growth is expected to be closer to 2.5%.\u00a0 The very latest indicator of US growth, the Richmond business activity indicator, suggests a sharp drop in growth in early 2019 \u2013 perhaps even to stagnation.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15570\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=450&#038;h=312&#038;fit=450%2C312&#038;resize=450%2C312\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=450&amp;h=312 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=150&amp;h=104 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=300&amp;h=208 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png 528w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"312\" data-attachment-id=\"15570\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=450&amp;h=312\" data-orig-size=\"528,366\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 4\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=450&amp;h=312?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-4.png?w=450&amp;h=312?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In Europe, hopes of a synchronised expansion matching that of the US have been dashed, as the leading European economies, France and Germany, have slowed, while the weaker ones like<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/03\/05\/italys-ides-of-march\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0Italy have slipped back into recession<\/a>.\u00a0 UK real GDP growth is also dropping fast as companies apply an investment strike due to<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/18\/brexit-100-days-and-after\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0uncertainty over Brexit.<\/a>\u00a0 The Eurozone economy is now growing at only 1.6% compared to nearly double that rate this time last year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15571\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=450&#038;h=210&#038;fit=450%2C210&#038;resize=450%2C210\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=450&amp;h=210 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=150&amp;h=70 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=300&amp;h=140 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"210\" data-attachment-id=\"15571\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-5\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=450&amp;h=210\" data-orig-size=\"730,340\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 5\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-5.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And it is not just in the major advanced capitalist economies that the forecast end to the Long Depression since 2008 has been confounded.\u00a0 In Asia too, there has been a slowdown in the second half of 2018.\u00a0\u00a0Japan\u2019s real GDP was static in Q3 2018.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15572\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=450&#038;h=210&#038;fit=450%2C210&#038;resize=450%2C210\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=450&amp;h=210 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=150&amp;h=70 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=300&amp;h=140 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"210\" data-attachment-id=\"15572\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-6\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=450&amp;h=210\" data-orig-size=\"730,340\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 6\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-6.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The world\u2019s largest manufacturing economy, China, has also slowed.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15573\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=450&#038;h=210&#038;fit=450%2C210&#038;resize=450%2C210\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=450&amp;h=210 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=150&amp;h=70 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=300&amp;h=140 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"210\" data-attachment-id=\"15573\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-7\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=450&amp;h=210\" data-orig-size=\"730,340\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 7\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-7.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Korea too is slowing.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15574\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=450&#038;h=210&#038;fit=450%2C210&#038;resize=450%2C210\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=450&amp;h=210 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=150&amp;h=70 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=300&amp;h=140 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"210\" data-attachment-id=\"15574\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-8\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=450&amp;h=210\" data-orig-size=\"730,340\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 8\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-8.png?w=450&amp;h=210?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>All the official growth forecasts (from the IMF, the OECD, World Bank etc) for are for a lower rate in 2019 compared to 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Now a recession in mainstream economics is technically defined as two consecutive quarterly contractions in real GDP growth.\u00a0 The consensus does not expect that in 2019.\u00a0 But are the mainstream experts wrong; will the major economies drop into a slump this coming year?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2012\/11\/22\/bayes-law-nate-silver-and-voodoo-economics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Many argue that forecasts<\/a>, let alone economic forecasts, are not worth the paper they are typed on.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure that I agree.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2017\/10\/03\/economic-crises-look-to-science-or-the-rain-gods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">I would make a distinction between prediction in scientific analysis and forecasts<\/a>.\u00a0 But I won\u2019t deal with that issue now.\u00a0 Instead I\u2019ll plough into my forecast for 2019.<\/p>\n<p>So what now for 2019?\u00a0 Well,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2017\/12\/29\/forecast-for-2018-the-trend-and-the-cycles\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what did I say were the key factors for 2018?<\/a>\u00a0 I said that\u00a0<em>\u201cthere are two things that put a question mark on the delivery of faster growth for most capitalist economies in 2018 and raise the possibility of the opposite.\u00a0 The first is profitability and profits\u201d\u00a0<\/em>and the second<em>\u00a0\u201cis debt\u2026global debt, particularly private sector (corporate and household) debt has continued to rise to new records.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This is still true for 2019.\u00a0 Global debt rose through 2018 and, most important, the cost of servicing that debt also began to rise as the US Federal Reserve continued with hiking its policy rate \u2013 with the last rise made just before the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15575\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=450&#038;h=274&#038;fit=450%2C274&#038;resize=450%2C274\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=450&amp;h=274 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=150&amp;h=91 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=300&amp;h=183 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png 541w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"274\" data-attachment-id=\"15575\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-10\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=450&amp;h=274\" data-orig-size=\"541,330\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 10\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=450&amp;h=274?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-10.png?w=450&amp;h=274?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Fed rate sets the floor for interest rates in the US and also the benchmark for international rates, given the dominant role of the dollar in international reserves and capital flows. \u00a0And other central banks have ended their cheap money injections \u2013 quantitative easing \u2013 which has now turned into quantitative tightening.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15576\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=450&#038;h=294&#038;fit=450%2C294&#038;resize=450%2C294\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=450&amp;h=294 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=150&amp;h=98 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=300&amp;h=196 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png 481w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"294\" data-attachment-id=\"15576\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-11\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=450&amp;h=294\" data-orig-size=\"481,314\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 11\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=450&amp;h=294?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-11.png?w=450&amp;h=294?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Thus \u201cfinancial conditions\u201d (the cost of debt, the state of stock markets and the value of the dollar against other currencies) have been tightening.<\/p>\n<p>Just after Janet Yellen ended her term as Federal Reserve chair (her term was not renewed by Trump because he said she was\u00a0<em>\u201ctoo short\u201d<\/em>), she declared that\u00a0<em>\u201cthere would be no more financial crises in our lifetime\u201d,<\/em>\u00a0because of the new measures applied to ensure the banks won\u2019t crash again.\u00a0 But last month, she revised that view.\u00a0 Apparently, there are\u00a0<em>\u201cgigantic holes in the financial system\u201d<\/em>\u00a0that she presided over and she now worries that\u00a0<em>\u201cthere could be another financial crisis\u201d<\/em>\u00a0after all. This is because financial regulation is \u2018unfinished\u201d and she is not sure that the Fed and government are doing anything about that\u00a0<em>\u201cin the way we should\u201d.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In a recent paper, Carmen Reinhart, a mainstream expert on the history of financial crises, drew attention to the sharp rise in unbacked corporate debt, called leveraged loans, with issuance hitting record highs in 2018.\u00a0 Reinhart concluded that\u00a0<em>\u201cthe networks for financial contagion, should things turn ugly, are already in place.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15577\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=450&#038;h=633&#038;fit=450%2C633&#038;resize=450%2C633\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=450&amp;h=633 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=107&amp;h=150 107w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=213&amp;h=300 213w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png 550w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"633\" data-attachment-id=\"15577\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-12\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=450&amp;h=633\" data-orig-size=\"550,774\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 12\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=450&amp;h=633?w=213\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-12.png?w=450&amp;h=633?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>So the scene is set for<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2017\/10\/20\/the-global-debt-mountain-a-minsky-moment-or-carchedi-crunch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0a new credit crunch in 2019<\/a>\u00a0if profits stop growing and the cost of servicing the accumulated corporate debt goes on rising.\u00a0 If the Fed continues with its policy hikes,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/03\/the-business-perspective-trade-debt-and-recession\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">just as in 1937 during the Great Depression of the 1930s, it threatens to provoke a sharp downturn,<\/a>\u00a0not just in the price of fictitious capital but also in the so-called \u2018real\u2019 economy.\u00a0 This fear provoked Trump to consider sacking Fed Chair Jay Powell in the New Year.<\/p>\n<p>The Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the international research agency for central banks, warned that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bis.org\/publ\/qtrpdf\/r_qt1812g.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">what it calls the \u2018financial cycle\u2019<\/a>\u00a0implies that a new credit crunch is coming.\u00a0\u00a0<em>\u201cFinancial cycle booms can end in crises and, even if they do not, they tend to weaken growth.\u00a0 Once financial cycles peak, the real economy typically suffers. This is most evident around financial crises, which tend to follow exuberant credit and asset price growth, ie financial cycle booms. Crises in turn tend to usher in deep recessions, as falling asset prices, high debt burdens and balance sheet repair drag down growth.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0And most important\u00a0<em>\u201cthe debt service ratio is particularly effective in this aspect\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>All the credit indicators for a recession are now flashing amber, if not red.\u00a0 The most popular is the so-called inverted yield curve, namely when the interest rate on a long-term government bond falls below the Federal Reserve\u2019s policy rate.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/08\/26\/the-feds-star-gazing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Whenever that happens, it nearly always indicates a recession within a year.<\/a>\u00a0 Why? Because what the inverted curve tells us is that investors think that a slump is coming so they are buying \u2018safe assets\u2019 like government bonds, while the Fed thinks the economy is fine and is hiking rates \u2013 but the market will decide.<\/p>\n<p>As one analyst put it:\u00a0<em>\u201cThink of an inverted yield curve as a fever. When your body gets a fever, the fever is not the cause of the sickness. It just says something\u2019s wrong with your body. You have the flu, appendicitis, or some other ailment. The fever indicates you are sick but not necessarily what the sickness is. And typically, the higher the fever, the more serious the condition.\u00a0 It is the same with the yield curve. The more inverted the yield curve is and the longer it stays that way, the more confident we are that something is economically wrong that may show up as a recession sometime in the future.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>The US yield curve has flattened but has not yet inverted.\u00a0 So this reliable indicator has still not turned red yet.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15578\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=450&#038;h=309&#038;fit=450%2C309&#038;resize=450%2C309\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=150&amp;h=103 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=300&amp;h=206 300w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"309\" data-attachment-id=\"15578\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-13\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=450&amp;h=309\" data-orig-size=\"450,309\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 13\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=450&amp;h=309?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-13.jpg?w=450&amp;h=309?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another important indicator for a coming recession can be found, not in the credit markets, but in the global economy.\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/07\/20\/big-data-fake-news-and-global-growth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">It\u2019s the price of copper and other industrial metals.<\/a>\u00a0 Metals are central inputs in industrial production around the world and so if their prices fall, this suggests that companies are reducing investment in production and so using less metal components.<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, the copper price fell back from a peak of 320 to 270 after July.\u00a0 But since then it has steadied and remains well above 200 then it fell to in the mini-recession of early 2016.\u00a0 So this suggests that while the world economy peaked back last summer, a recession is not yet with us.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15579\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=450&#038;h=247&#038;fit=450%2C247&#038;resize=450%2C247\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=450&amp;h=247 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=150&amp;h=82 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=300&amp;h=164 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"247\" data-attachment-id=\"15579\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-14\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=450&amp;h=247\" data-orig-size=\"730,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 14\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=450&amp;h=247?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-14.png?w=450&amp;h=247?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Another indicator that the world economy is slowing down from its mini-boom in 2017 is the sharp fall in oil prices.\u00a0 The price has plunged from $75\/b in October to $45\/b now. That will hit the profits of the energy companies and the trade balances of the oil producers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15580\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=450&#038;h=247&#038;fit=450%2C247&#038;resize=450%2C247\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=450&amp;h=247 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=150&amp;h=82 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=300&amp;h=164 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png 730w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"247\" data-attachment-id=\"15580\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-15\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=450&amp;h=247\" data-orig-size=\"730,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 15\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=450&amp;h=247?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-15.png?w=450&amp;h=247?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The most important factor for analysing the health of the capitalist economy remains the profitability of the capitalist sector and the movement in profits globally.\u00a0 That decides whether investment and production will continue.\u00a0 This blog has presented\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/03\/07\/unam-1-the-profit-investment-nexus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">overwhelming evidence<\/a>\u00a0that profits and investment are highly correlated and in that order \u2013 see our latest book,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.haymarketbooks.org\/books\/1216-world-in-crisis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World in Crisis.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The US corporate sector ended 2018 with record levels of profits\/earnings, rising some 20%, the highest rate since 2010, when the US economy rebounded from the Great Recession.\u00a0 But this profit jump was a one-off.\u00a0 It\u2019s been driven by huge corporate tax cuts and exemptions from tax in repatriating cash reserves from abroad that the major US companies held.\u00a0 And US corporate revenues have been boosted by a very sharp fall in input costs, namely the fall in the oil price during 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Globally, profits were still growing in the middle of 2018.\u00a0 But profits growth has slowed in Germany, China and Japan.\u00a0 Only the US has experienced any acceleration.\u00a0 And if the US profits growth is a one-off, as argued above, global profits growth is likely to fall away sharply in 2019.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-15581\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=450&#038;h=293&#038;fit=450%2C293&#038;resize=450%2C293\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=450&amp;h=293 450w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=900&amp;h=586 900w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=150&amp;h=98 150w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=300&amp;h=195 300w, https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=768&amp;h=500 768w\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"293\" data-attachment-id=\"15581\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/2019-16\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=450&amp;h=293\" data-orig-size=\"6103,3974\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"2019 16\" data-image-description=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=450&amp;h=293?w=300\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/thenextrecession.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/2019-16.png?w=450&amp;h=293?w=450\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Slowing profits growth and a rising cost of (corporate) debt, alongside all the politico-economic factors of an international trade war between China and the US, suggest that in 2019 the likelihood of a global slump has never been higher since the end of the Great Recession in 2009.<\/p>\n<p>From:\u00a0https:\/\/thenextrecession.wordpress.com\/2018\/12\/28\/forecast-for-2019\/<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Well, there has not been a year starting like this for a long time.\u00a0 The US government is in disarray.\u00a0\u00a0The President of the Unites States starts the second half of his four-year term having lost his majority in the lower house of Congress to the Democrats in a heavy polling defeat last November.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11236,"menu_order":774,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"litci_post_political_author":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[365,3498],"tags":[366,34,3831],"class_list":["post-11235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-china","category-usa","tag-china-2","tag-michael-roberts","tag-us"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Forecast for 2019 - International Worker&#039;s League<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/litci.org\/en\/forecast-for-2019\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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