Let's talk about how this economic 'slow-mo' impacts the actual humans:

• People's Wallets & Nerves: The average worker is currently feeling like they're walking a tightrope without a net. The New York Fed survey explicitly states that people are more worried about losing their jobs and less confident about finding new ones. This translates to less spending, more saving (if they can), and a general sense of economic dread. It also means fewer people daring to switch jobs, which clogs up the career ladder for younger generations and those trying to make a change.
• Corruption Risk (or, Who's Laughing All the Way to the Bank?): When the job market tightens, employers gain more leverage. This can mean stagnant wages, reduced benefits, and less worker power. While not direct corruption, it creates an environment where corporations can easily prioritize profits over people, knowing talent is less likely to jump ship. The "cost of living is very high," yet wages aren't keeping pace. Someone's benefiting from these increasing component costs, and it's certainly not the factory worker.
• Short-Sighted Decisions & The Tariff Tango: President Trump’s tariffs, designed to protect American industries, are ironically

  choking off manufacturers

  who rely on global supply chains for essential components. As one factory manager noted, "component costs are increasing with folks citing tariffs." This is a classic case of a policy solving one perceived problem by creating three new, more expensive ones. The Federal Reserve is now cutting interest rates, essentially acting as the emergency cleanup crew for these economic self-inflicted wounds.