The ‘boomcession’: Why Americans feel left behind by a growing economy

CNBC ^ | 02 18 2026 | Alex Harring

[yesthatjallen]

-The U.S. economy could be in a “boomcession.”

- A portmanteau of the words “boom” and “recession,” the term can help explain why many Americans don’t feel the economic growth appearing on paper.

Welcome to the “boomcession.”

The term is a portmanteau of the words “boom” and “recession.” It highlights how the average American doesn’t feel like they’re reaping the benefits of an economy that is — on paper — humming along, according to creator Matt Stoller.

Economic output and the stock market are surging, consumers are spending big and the post-pandemic recession that many expected never materialized. But many feel terrible about their finances, with debt at all-time highs, and the majority of Americans incorrectly believe the country is in an economic slowdown.

“Traditionally, the economy is doing really well,” said Stoller, an antimonopoly advocate and research director at the American Economic Liberties Project, a nonpartisan thinktank. “But ordinary people are saying they’re not.”

SNIP

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TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: boomcession; economy; inflation

[gibsonguy]

If they feel “left behind” it is because of rat propagandists like the ones at CNBC.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

It’s thematically similar to the “vibecession,” a term popularized in 2022 to explain the disconnect between solid economic data and negative consumer sentiment readings exiting the pandemic.

LOL. Its all very easy to explain. Boomcession is the latest MSM propaganda used to convince people that they are doing poorly even though Trump's economy is booming. Vibecession was the MSM propaganda used to convince people that they were doing well even though Biden's economy was in the toilet. Its like "funcemployed" that the MSM tried to popularize during Obama's term to convince people that being unemployed was actually a chance to engage in leisure activities. Its all MSM propaganda.

[jpl]

It's not really that complicated: a lot of people out there still want prices to go back down to what they were before the "pandemic", which is simply never ever going to happen.

The sooner that people finally accept the basic reality that for the most part prices are what they are and stop thinking about what prices were several years ago, the less miserable they'll be.

[blackdog]

Because they make incredibly stupid choices in how they spend their money?

[BenLurkin]

The lockdowns killed a lot of small businesses.

[Skwor]

Ya, this is nothing more than the LSM telling people how they want them to feel.

[Kleon]

My DJT stock is way down. My Silver is down. Everything is getting more expensive.

[Jeff Chandler]

Because they make incredibly impulsive choices in how they spend their money?

[Larry Lucido]

All news is bad news.

[7thson]

You are absolutely correct!

When I was growing up -

An 8 ounce soda - 5 cents

A comic book - 12 cents

A McDonalds hamburger - 10 cents

A candy bar - 5 cents

I would love to return to those prices. But those days are long gone and they are never coming back. Prices go up and extremely rare that they come back down to what they used to be. This has happened over the decades and I cannot understand why people do no recognize this.

[Political Junkie Too]

My portfolio is up 5.7% YTD, and we're only 7 weeks into the new year.

-PJ

[WhiteHatBobby0701]

aka MS NOW.

[Skwor]

Pretty much, the need is for wages to rise again where the prices are more in line with earnings.

That takes time.

However, prices can come down, just takes a lot longer. I lived through carter and saw everything go up, but after 8 years of Reagon prices had come down a little, just took forever.

[Zathras]

Back 10 years ago, it was common knowledge in the activist organizations that if you wanted to make big bucks, join a non-profit organization.

I suspect there are 200k activists who are now out of work and zero chance of finding any.

[Skwor]

The price of eggs would like a word with you.

Stop with the lies. Everything is not getting mor expensive, take your liberal lies elsewhere

[bobbo666]

Or,they do not work to begin with. Losers

[Starboard]

Another case of the Left looking for ways to ‘brand’ their next campaign to put Republicans on defense.

[Kleon]

I should have said everything I buy is getting more expensive. I don’t buy eggs.

[bert]

There is no cure for inequality