Uncertainty. It’s a word that packs a lot of fear and indecision into four syllables, and one that has continued to burden not only the U.S. economy but that of the world as well. Though the most recent recession officially ended in June 2009, according to economists at the National Bureau of Economic Research, more than two years later, most people are still waiting for clear positive signs that the economy is on a strong upward trajectory.
Stock markets remain on a jittery roller-coaster ride, with investors reacting sharply to every morsel of economic news. In September during one particularly volatile week, the markets swung like a pendulum by hundreds of points for four consecutive days. An analysis by The New York Times found that these days the stock markets are more likely to experience daily swings on the order of 3 percent or 4 percent than at any other time in recent stock market history. That volatility continues to alarm investors and shake public confidence in the economy.