Is there reason to fear a recession in OECD countries despite the favourable macroeconomic situation?
A growing number of economists, financiers and companies are concerned about another recession in OECD countries, which explains the trend in financial markets. Yet the macroeconomic situation of the OECD (positive trends in growth and employment, demand stimulus, low interest rates staving off financial crises) are rather favourable. For there to be a recession, the trade war would have to trigger a fall in confidence and in investment as well as a sufficiently large negative wealth effect related to fall ing share prices for these negative developments to outweigh the favourable macroeconomic situation . Could this happen? Do the major indicators support a recession scenario? We see no development (in global trade, confidence, savings or investment) that would justify a shift to a recession scenario.