Powell Dismisses Recession Fears Amid Robust Hard Data

Consumer Confidence Wanes Despite Strong Economic Indicators Trump Tariffs Fuel Inflation Concerns and Economic Uncertainty Jerome Powell, the U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman, recently emphasized the resilience of the American economy during a press conference following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on March 19, 2025. Addressing growing fears of an impending economic recession linked to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, Powell stated, “Consumer spending has slightly slowed but remains at a solid pace. The unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent. Overall, it’s a robust picture.” His comments come as Google Trends data reveals a surge in U.S. searches for “recession,” hitting the highest level since 2022, with related terms like “Trump recession comment” and “Nasdaq index” trending alongside. Despite Trump’s earlier remark that a transition period might precede any downturn, Powell downplayed recession risks, asserting that while institutional forecasts have s...