I guess I’ll just remain ignorant because I don’t know what a “K-shaped” economy is and the article does not start out explaining that or do it anywhere else I could see in a quick scan. No time for something like that.
RE: I don’t know what a “K-shaped” economy is
In simple terms, A K‑shaped economy is a way of describing an economic situation where different parts of the economy are moving in opposite directions at the same time — one group is doing well, while another is struggling.
So, Why is it called “K” shaped?
Look at the letter K, with one arm going up and the other going down.
If you graph the performance of these two groups over time, the lines diverge — one going up, the other going down — much like the two arms of the letter “K”.
In simple terms:
Upper “arm” of the K: Certain sectors, industries, or people (often higher‑income households, asset owners, or in‑demand professions) are experiencing strong growth, rising incomes, or increasing wealth.
Lower “arm” of the K: Other sectors, industries, or people (often lower‑ and middle‑income households, service workers, or those in declining industries) are seeing stagnant wages, falling incomes, or rising costs.
These two paths happen at the same time in the same economy, so the overall picture is split rather than uniform.
I hope this helps.