• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

1

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

2

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

3

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
FinanceRecession

Goldman Sachs economists keep doubling down on their call that we’ll avoid a recession. Their boss disagrees

Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
Will Daniel
By
Will Daniel
Will Daniel
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 28, 2022, 1:37 PM ET
David Solomon, chief executive officer of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon puts the odds of a “soft landing” at just 35%.Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Throughout 2022, investment banks, economists, and billionaire investors have warned that a recession is on the way as the Federal Reserve battles inflation with interest rate hikes. And recently, the doomsday predictions for the economy have heated up. Greg Jensen, the co-chief investment officer of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, said earlier this month that a recession of “double the normal length” could begin next year because of stubborn inflation and hawkish central banks.

And Nouriel Roubini, professor emeritus at New York University’s Stern School of Business and the CEO of Roubini Macro Associates, even told Fortune that a “variant of another Great Depression” could be on the way as the global economy grapples with a string of interconnected “MegaThreats.” But Goldman Sachs’ economists are standing by their optimistic outlook for the U.S. economy, even if their CEO isn’t.

The investment bank’s chief economist, Jan Hatzius, has made it clear throughout 2022 that he believes a “soft landing”—where inflation is tamed without sparking a recession—is the most likely outcome in the U.S. next year.

Hatzius has been arguing that there’s just a 35% chance of recession in 2023, much lower than Wall Street forecasters’ average prediction for a 65% chance. And this week, he doubled down on what he admitted is an “out-of-consensus” forecast.

Goldman’s economists broke down what they consider to be the 10 most important questions of the coming year in a research note that was framed as a Q & A with Hatzius on Monday. Their first question: “Will the U.S. economy enter recession in 2023?” 

Hatzius’s answer was to the point. “No,” he wrote. “The U.S. will avoid a recession and instead continue progressing toward a soft landing.”  

But not everyone at Goldman Sachs seems to be on the same page.

The firm’s CEO, David Solomon—who joined as a partner in 1999 and previously ran the investment banking division—puts the odds of a “soft landing” at just 35%. Solomon explained at Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference in October that he’s preparing for the worst due to persistent inflation.

“Generally, when you find yourself in an economic scenario like this, where inflation is embedded, it’s very hard to get out of it without a real economic slowdown,” he warned. “So I, too, am in the camp that we likely will have a recession in the U.S.”

While many economists believe year-over-year inflation peaked at 9.1% in June, consumer price increases were still well above the Fed’s 2% target rate last month at 7.1%.

Solomon reiterated his concerns about a potential recession earlier this month at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit as well, saying that the firm will need to “narrow” its footprint as the economy slows and inflation bites.

“We’ve set in motion certain expense-mitigation plans,” he said. “It will take some time to realize the benefits. Ultimately, we will remain nimble and we will size the firm to reflect the opportunity set.”

Just over a week later, it was reported that Goldman is expected to slash 8% of its workforce in a cost-cutting move. 

But Hatzius believes inflation is set to fall to 3.2% by the end of 2023 and a soft landing is on the way.

He said in his Monday note that wage and price pressures will fall next year as the labor market rebalances, pointing to a declining “jobs-workers gap”—the difference between the total number of jobs in the economy and the total number of workers—as evidence that the rebalancing process has been “quite successful” so far.

And unlike other economists who argue that the Fed’s interest rate hikes act with a lag that can be as long as 18 months, which will end up causing a recession next year as they continue to slow economic growth, Hatzius said that most of the effects of the Fed’s policies have already been felt.

“Rate hikes affect the economy via broad financial conditions as soon as markets anticipate them,” he explained. “We expect more resilience in underlying demand next year than consensus because our analysis indicates that policy restraint has played a very large role in slowing demand growth this year but will fade quickly next year.”

Our new weekly Impact Report newsletter examines how ESG news and trends are shaping the roles and responsibilities of today's executives. Subscribe here.
About the Author
Will Daniel
By Will Daniel
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Elon Musk puts one hand to his chin and he looks up. He is in front of a blue "World Economic Forum" background.
InvestingSpaceX
‘SpaceX is his new baby at the expense of Tesla’: Elon Musk’s IPO could be bad news for his EV maker, investors warns
By Sasha RogelbergMay 21, 2026
5 hours ago
reeves
Personal FinanceInflation
British government’s answer to cost-of-living crisis: discounts on theme park tickets, chocolate bars
By Jill Lawless and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
7 hours ago
trump
AIWhite House
Trump says he’s calling off widely anticipated order to rein in AI
By Collin Binkley, Matt O'Brien and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
8 hours ago
ro khanna
AITech
Ro Khanna blames ‘clueless’ boomers for Gen Z booing AI: They handed over a ‘broken economy’
By Jake AngeloMay 21, 2026
8 hours ago
Young worker looking tired in front of a screen
EconomyYoung workers
A Nobel economist figured out 60 years ago that people learn best on the job. The Atlanta Fed says AI is making that almost impossible
By Tristan BoveMay 21, 2026
9 hours ago
The Midwest is leading America’s spring housing rebound because of ‘buyers who are actually showing up,’ Realtor.com says
Real EstateHousing
The Midwest is leading America’s spring housing rebound because of ‘buyers who are actually showing up,’ Realtor.com says
By Sydney LakeMay 21, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
11 hours ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
Conferences
A 'proudly autistic' workplace expert says putting neurodivergent employees in a typical office is like dropping a polar bear in Austin, Texas
By Tristan BoveMay 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.