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> It just can't handle it suddenly.

I think there are factors there that is going to cause permanent reductions of production capacity in many economies, though:

1) Demography: Boomers have started retiring in large numbers, and a lot more retire in the next 5-10 years. There are not enough young people to fill all of the openings they leave behind. Also, work participation rate among young people is falling for various reasons. Unlike their parents, the boomers have a lot of saved up wealth and less of the frugality of those who remembered the 30s, meaning many will continue to have high levels of consumption into their retirement.

2) Reversion of globalism: Covid made many realize that global supply chains are fragile during emergencies, and many countries are re-shoring essential and strategic production, such as medical supplies, chips/electronics and agricultural products. The cost of this improved resilience is lower efficiency.

3) Increased world tension: With the invasion of Ukraine and the possibility of war between the US and China over Taiwan, world spending on armaments is going up, taking production capacity away from consumer goods. The same tension is already causing reduced trade.

4) Populism/socialism/environmentalism: There appears to be a surge in populist, socialist radical environmentalist sentiments in many places, with demands to "tax the rich" and other actions that will make investments less attractive.

In sum, I think these factors will have noticable effects on the supply side in many years to come, causing inflation and/or interest rates to stay elevated for 10 years or more.

Unless there is a sudden surge in automation, of course.



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