Economic chatter has been getting louder, and whether it's on the news, on podcasts, or in group chats, the word "recession" gets thrown around a lot. But for ER docs, economic shifts don't just show up in the stock market—they eventually show up on shift, in your paycheck, and in the way hospitals operate.

That means it's worth understanding what we're actually talking about when we talk about a recession. Before we look at indicators and how they affect emergency medicine, let's start with the basics.