September 2007
Assessing recession’s toll
Three recessions have hit the U.S. in the last 25 years, according to data from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The results aren't always pretty.
| Recession period | Investing (S&P 500 total return) | Housing (percent increase in home sales)  |
Borrowing (average 30-year fixed mortgage) | Employment (growth rate)  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2001 to November 2001 (8 months) | -7.36% | -3.73% | 7.12% | -1.20% |
| July 1990 to March 1991 (8 months) | 6.92 | -2.08 | 9.93 | -1.10 |
| July 1981 to November 1982 (16 months) | 7.43 | -10.44 | 16.72 | -2.90 |
Note: Numbers represent the average rates, returns, and yields over the recession periods.
Existing single-family homes. Nonfarm employment.
