A 2024 recession looks a lot more likely than it did just a few months ago. While many Americans were hoping for a “soft landing,” that might not be what we get as the economy hits a breaking point. With the government only temporarily saved from a shutdown, auto workers going on strike for cost of living adjustments, student loans resuming, and oil prices skyrocketing as production slows down, we may be forced to enter into a recession.

On the flipside, GDP remains strong, Americans are still spending, and unemployment is historically low. While this could quickly change, it begs the question: is the American consumer stronger than high interest rates, rising prices, and the threat of an unknown future economy? We brought on the full On the Market panel to give us their take on where we’re heading and which economic threats could bring down the economy.

We’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the recent UAW strike that is putting a bottleneck on transportation, the government shutdown that risks millions going unpaid, student loan resumption that could force Americans to forgo optional spending, and an exacerbated oil price increase that is hurting the everyday American (and especially Californians).