What the data shows
The Take — Recession anxiety is holding steady at high levels as fears over inflation and global conflict dominate the conversation.
What's Happening — Although concern dipped slightly from yesterday, people are still fixated on rising prices and the economic fallout from the Iran war. Online chatter draws a direct line between the ongoing conflict and runaway inflation, with some voices warning of a financial crisis worse than 2008. Search interest for "inflation" remains strong, reflecting worries about cost-of-living spikes and economic shocks tied to global instability.
The main driver this week is a persistent fear that inflation triggered by war could spiral out of control, hitting wallets and jobs hard. People aren’t just worried about technical recessions—they’re openly debating whether the situation could snowball into a much deeper crisis.
Looking Ahead — Expect concern to stay high unless there’s a clear resolution to either inflation or the conflict. Any new headlines about economic strain or escalation could push worries even higher.
This reflects public sentiment, not economic conditions.
Why this matters today
178K jobs added in March — a strong headline. But the R-Word Index only dipped to 67. Still High Concern. People read past headlines. They see labor force shrinking and prices climbing. The mood has not shifted. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/r-word-index-recession-pulse/id6760947480 #Recession
Posted on @RWIndex on .
How this compares
A week earlier the index was 59. That's a rise of 6 points over seven days.
The last two weeks
The R-Word Index is built from public human-authored writing — not media headlines. How this index is calculated.