SALISBURY, Md. - Economists are predicting a recession in the U.S., but now experts are trying to figure out when.
Between the recent trade war with China and increased consumer spending, President and CEO of the Salisbury-Area Chamber of Commerce Bill Chambers says all signs point towards a downturn.
"Something is coming, all the indicators point to it, it's just a matter of how deep will it be this time," Chambers said.
Chambers says the Eastern Shore, along with other rural communities in the U.S., are normally the first to see a downturn, but the last to get out of a recession.
"So it's a perfect storm, we have rising wage rates mandated by legislation in the state of Maryland and we have an economy now that is slowly shrinking; it's contracting," Chambers said.
Dr. Memo Diriker with the business analyst group "BEACON" at Salisbury University says experts believe the recession will come before or after the upcoming presidential election. Diriker says the Trump administration will likely wait until after, but that will hold up any mitigation efforts.
Chambers says a recession will likely affect jobs for young people and seasonal workers.
"Small businesses that support these larger entities are freezing positions and they're looking long term about the implications of a recession," Chambers said.
Chambers says the best thing for businesses to do in preparation is to watch your borrowing and manage cash flow.
