Some of the nation's top executives think we're headed for a recession.
In recent weeks, business leaders ranging from Elon Musk to David Solomon have begun sounding the alarm bell about an impending economic slowdown. In fact, CEO confidence has dipped to its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest survey from The Conference Board, a business research group.
The survey, which gathered responses from 133 CEOs of primarily public companies between April 25 and May 9, found that the majority of CEOs believe the Federal Reserve's plan to curb inflation through an interest rate increase will spark a recession, albeit a mild one.
The Conference Board's chief economist, Dana M. Peterson, said in a statement that executive outlook on the future is "bleak," with 60% of leaders expecting the economy to worsen over the next six months.
Still, there are a handful of CEOs who have said in recent weeks they're optimistic that an impending economic downturn will be mild, or that we'll avoid one altogether.
Here's what executives are saying about the possibility of a recession, and their advice on how to prepare.