Lipstick sales, packed lunches, strippers’ tips: the unlikely signs of recession

In an unusual moment for the US economy, analysts look for hidden signals of consumers' worries

Reversecowgirl69 has been dancing for six years in clubs from Texas to New York. The graduate student and stripper tracks her income carefully, and in May 2022 she noticed it dropping: I was noticing that there were just fewer higher-earning people coming into the club, and when that happens, you know something bad is going to happen." She tweeted a warning: The strip club is sadly a leading indicator and i can promise y'all we r in a recession lmao."

The tweet went viral, and at least within her club, it seemed to be correct. Over the next few months, her earnings continued to plunge, and the other workers at the club said the same. By December - usually an excellent month for strip clubs - business was abysmal", and, she says, her income that month was down by half compared with the same time last year. It was bad for everybody. I know girls who dance in Vegas and even they weren't making money. They're like the oracles we consult, and if Vegas girls aren't making money, no one's making money."