As bad as 1982?

The Economy Is Bad, but 1982 Was Worse

Excerpt:

The first big blow to the economy was the 1979 revolution in Iran, which sent oil prices skyrocketing. The bigger blow was a series of sharp interest-rate increases by the Federal Reserve, meant to snap inflation. Home sales plummeted. At their worst, they were 30 percent lower than they are even now (again, adjusted for population size). The industrial Midwest was hardest hit, and the term “Rust Belt” became ubiquitous. Many families fled south and west, helping to create the modern Sun Belt.

Nationwide, the unemployment rate rose above 10 percent in 1982, compared with 7.2 percent last month.

Comment: I was an Assistant Pastor back in 1982. What I remember was the inflation rate being high. I remember receiving a small raise that year and that it was significantly less than inflation. Consumer Price Index Data from 1913 to 2008