posted March 27, 2023 11:26 PM            

...and the U.S. dollar is under threat of losing its status as world's reserve currency.

posted March 27, 2023 11:32 PM            

quote:

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A sliver of a silver lining shows prices paid and received falling in March.

But, it is the respondents that dropped the hammer on any nascent recovery or stability:

[The collapse of] Silicon Valley Bank could be the beginning of more challenges ahead.

Illiquidity of consumer customers is increasing. Stagflation is upon us. The politically charged funny money, the denial of economic realities by the current administration and the illusion of prosperity have come home.

Our outlook is horrible. The level of certainty is zero. Production is hand to mouth. We cannot find workers.

We are laying off workers for the first time since 2010.

Foreign competition is at an all-time record percentage for our segment of the industry. Several countries, including Mexico, are subsidizing manufacturers in our industry.

There are too many negatives in the economy: International conflict, inflation, poor national leadership, deficit spending, the Federal Reserve keeping rates artificially low and now raising them quickly and steeply, thus stressing the financial markets.

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