vibecession

A vibecession is a stretch of time when the economy looks healthy by the usual measures, but people still feel like it’s in a recession. The word blends “vibe” and “recession,” and it’s usually said with a mix of irony and frustration.

What vibecession means

It describes a gap between the data and the mood. Jobs are available and the economy is technically growing, yet people feel poorer, worry about money and tell pollsters things are bad. The usual culprit is prices. When groceries and rent cost a lot more than they did a couple of years ago, a decent jobs report doesn’t feel like good news.

People use the word in two opposite ways. Some mean the public is being too gloomy about an economy that’s actually fine. Others mean the official numbers are missing how tight things feel for ordinary households. Context usually tells you which one someone means.

Examples

• “Stocks at a record high, vibes at a record low. Classic vibecession.”
• “Is it a recession or just a vibecession? Depends who you ask.”
• “My pay went up 4% and my rent went up 15%. Don’t tell me it’s a vibecession.”

Where the word came from

Economics writer and content creator Kyla Scanlon is credited with coining it in June 2022. Dictionary.com attributes the word to her, and Wikipedia quotes her definition from a post she published on June 30 that year. At the time, inflation was high and consumer surveys were grim even though unemployment was low, and journalists writing about that disconnect soon picked the word up.

Vibecession vs. recession

A recession is a measurable decline: output shrinks and people lose jobs. A vibecession is about perception. The job losses haven’t happened. The bad feeling has.

Related terms

• Doom spending: spending to cope with money worries.
• Loud budgeting: saying no to spending, out loud.
• Side hustle: extra income on top of a main job.

More workplace terms in our work and money slang guide.