12/20/2023

What Social Trends Taught Us About the 2023 Economy

A look back at the trends that taught us about the American economy this year

This year, the world learned that some men just can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire. Over here at The New York Times, we can’t stop thinking about what social trends like that one tell us about the American economy.

We had no shortage of viral memes and moments to discuss in 2023. Americans flocked to Paris (and overseas in general). Millennial women stocked up on the Stanley thermoses their dads used to use, one of a range of female-powered consumer fads. Thanks partly to Barbie, Birkenstocks also came back harder than a ’90s trend. Some people even spoke in Taylor Swift lyrics.

Social developments like those can tell us a lot about the economy in which we're living. To wrap up 2023, we ran through some of the big cultural events and what they taught us about the labor market, economic growth and the outlook for 2024.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The New York Times.