So, what’s the mood out there? Do you find yourself noticing little things that might be signs of the recession?
Here’s one I’ve been thinking about over the last week or so: crowds at the gym.
I remember last year at this time, when it seemed like people were really panicking about the economy. So many companies in New York had been laying people off and things looked pretty dire. For me, my gym membership seems like one of the easiest expenses that could be cut if I had to economize, so I wondered if I’d notice a decline in the attendance at my gym.
As it turned out, I didn’t. Last January, my gym always seemed to be packed. January is always a busy time in gyms, when people make New Year’s resolutions and are still sticking to them. And the bad economy even increased that effect: when people lose their jobs, they have more time to go to the gym, and perhaps more desire to feel successful in weight loss and fitness goals, since their career goals are undergoing a setback. Also, many people probably pre-pay for a year’s membership since it’s cheaper than going month to month. The gym allows you to suspend your membership, but most people probably figured that the money was already spent, so they might as well just keep going.
So what about this year? When I returned to the gym on January 4th, I was dreading the crowds– I’m always rushing to get a spot in the pool without having to wait, so having to compete with even more people beyond the usual regulars was not appealing. But the pool was no more crowded than usual, and the locker room seemed quieter than usual. And it’s been that way every day since– I keep waiting for the crowds of people to be jostling each other for lockers, waiting in line for showers, searching for empty treadmills… but it’s just been pretty quiet and relatively empty.
Is it because people have found new jobs and don’t have time to work out? Or is it because more and more people have let their memberships expire as they remain unemployed longer and longer? Somehow, I suspect it’s the latter. New York just doesn’t feel like it’s bouncing back from the recession anytime soon… How about you? What sorts of economic signs do you see in your everyday life?
