8: Consumer Trends and the Post-Pandemic Economy

The pandemic spurred a rollercoaster of quick, subsequent economic events in three years that might normally occur across three decades: record unemployment, a brief recession, federal assistance, highest inflation since the 1980s, interest rate increases, and in 2023, concerns regarding a looming recession. Some U.S. consumers have dealt with the aftermath of this whiplash by shifting their spending and saving behaviors. Our experts discuss U.S. consumer trends since the pandemic—what’s stayed the same, new phenomena, and notable policy developments. 

Discussants: 

• The Honorable David M. Satterfield, Director, Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy

• Joe Barnes, Bonner Means Baker Fellow, Baker Institute for Public Policy

• Joyce Beebe, Ph.D., Fellow in Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy

• John Diamond, Ph.D., Edward A. and Hermena Hancock Kelly Fellow in Public Finance and Director of the Center for Public Finance, Baker Institute for Public Policy; Adjunct Professor of Economics, Rice University; and CEO, Tax Policy Advisers, LLC

Related research: 

• Issue Brief: Reflecting on the Budget Control Act of 2011 and Its Relevance Now by John W. Diamond and Autumn Engebretson

• Issue Brief: Recent U.S. Consumer Trends: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed — Should We Be Blue? by Joyce Beebe