What the data shows
The Take — Recession anxiety remains stubbornly high, but concern is cooling off slightly as immediate fears about job loss and prices show signs of easing.
What's Happening People are still talking about unemployment and inflation, but the urgency has dialed back a notch. Recent days saw fewer spikes in searches about job losses and rising costs, suggesting some relief—or at least fatigue—from constant bad news. The dominant mood remains uneasy, with many worried about making ends meet.
A standout theme is the real-world impact of costs, with stories like not being able to afford a wheelchair surfacing in discussions. This shows that for many, fear goes beyond statistics—it's about whether paychecks can cover real needs. While headlines about layoffs and prices are still on folks’ minds, the conversation is shifting slightly from panic to cautious concern.
Looking Ahead Unless new shocks hit the news, expect this “elevated” worry to linger without spiking. People are bracing for tough times, but not expecting things to fall off a cliff overnight.
This reflects public sentiment, not economic conditions.
Why this matters today
One day below High Concern. That is all we got. The R-Word Index bounced back to 60 after dipping to 55 yesterday. People are not panicking more — they are just tired of worrying. That might be worse. https://rwindex.app #Recession
Posted on @RWIndex on .
How this compares
A week earlier the index was 65. That's a drop of 5 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.