COLUMNIST: Five reasons to be optimistic about the 2026 economy |
One year ago, businesses--and especially their CEOs--were optimistic about the U.S. economy in 2025, expecting lower taxes and more market-friendly policies from incoming President Donald Trump. Then came April 2: Liberation Day. The market fell, uncertainty rose, and affordability became a more acute concern. Meanwhile, the labor market continued to weaken as immigration restrictions led to a slower-growing workforce and labor shortages in some sectors.
Nonetheless, the U.S. economy persisted. As the end of the year approaches, the market is up more than 15 percent, and GDP growth in the third quarter was an unexpectedly robust 4.3 percent. What will 2026 be like? There are reasons to be optimistic, as many were a year ago. Here are five of........