The MSM is trying to "redefine" the definition of a "recession" to protect Democrats?

Is a recession coming in 2022?

While the economy likely contracted for a second straight quarter over the past three months – historically an informal benchmark for recession – top analysts say it will likely take falling employment to nudge the nation into a downturn.

In June, U.S. employers announced about 32,000 job cuts, up from about 20,000 in both May and June 2021, according to outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas. And the gloomier outlook is prompting some businesses to rein in hiring.

So negative GDP growth being the criteria for a recession is not really an "informal" benchmark, but has been the only real definition of a recession since I took Macro-Econ 101 back in college. The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as "a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than two quarters which is 6 months, normally visible in real gross domestic product (GDP), real income, employment, industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales".

Generally speaking we do not necessarily require high unemployment or wage decreases or anything other than an economy that is moving backwards in GDP to describe a recession. In fact, I have yet to see any tangible description of any gauge associated with unemployment or anything else within any description of a recession. The idea is that normally a recession comes "with" employment issues and other negative economic factors. It is a symptom, not a cause of a recession.

It would appear that we will likely see a second quarter of negative growth along with polling showing a majority of Americans feeling like we are in a recession. But in spite of this  we will see a whole lot of pushback from the liberal press (and certain economists) who will demand that a GDP going backwards during a time of huge inflation (stagflation) is not actually a recession, because our employment numbers are not a poor as they generally would be. 

Seems backwards if you ask me.

To put this in perspective, if all goods and services are 6% or more "higher" than they generally would be, the fact that we are are seeing any negative GDP growth is remarkable. 1% negative growth in real dollars (under normal inflation) is likely more like a 4% or even 5% contraction of the economy. Generally inflation "raises" the GDP. 

More to the point, the low unemployment is not necessarily a strength right now as the retiring of baby boomers has led to shortages of employees (especially high trained employees) for many employers. This forces employers to fight over the remaining highly trained employees leading to higher wages for them (and higher cost of business). In other words,  low unemployment has to do with more people retiring than entering the workforce than it does with a strong economy (which we certainly do not have right now). 

Face the reality. We are currently in a recession and I promise the majority of  Americans will see it that way no matter what Paul Krugman or other liberal economists try to tell us.