Just How Soft Would A Soft Landing Be?

Many economists predict the job market will suffer from the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes, with the economy entering a recession and the unemployment rate seeing a relatively small increase compared to past recessions. Projections vary between forecasters, with the Congressional Budget Office predicting a sharper increase than the Federal Reserves' policy committee does. (To see a specific data point, tap or hover over that area of the chart.)

Average unemployment rate during the fourth quarter of each year.
Chart: Investopedia Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics via Federal Reserve Economic Data; Congressional Budget Office; Federal Reserve
Investopedia