The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant level of disruption to the lives of several United States citizens. Beyond just the short-term impact of the lockdown measures, which brought about a raft of complications, are still being felt as the American economy struggles to recover to its pre-pandemic stability.
The initial half of 2022 was marred by supply-chain shortages, which saw the price of several grocery items skyrocket. This combined with the sanctions imposed on Russian imports led to a gas crisis, with the average price for a gallon of gas across America going above five dollars during the month of June.
The resulting inflation forced the American Federal Reserve to implement a series of interest rate hikes in order to control the escalating prices, with the last increase coming during the month of February, with the range now at 4.25-4.50 percent.
With borrowing now more expensive, several companies, especially those engaged in the tech industry have begun implementing a series of layoffs. With the economy also on the brink of a recession, several more might find themselves unemployed meaning that unemployment benefit claims could soar in 2023. Read Also : When is the FAFSA due for fall 2023?