he backlog in toilet paper will fund things for some time. ...
So here's the thing: I'm hoping you are correct and the world economy reco vers / rebounds post-Corona, or at least, once we can get a better handle o n managing the pandemic.
OR...
Will employers struggling to stay afloat via layoffs (etc..) find new ways to work more efficiently, and as a result, NOT re-hire staff? (Here, I'm t hinking investment in automation, consolidation of departments, etc.. - whe rever you can find efficiencies that don't have an additional payroll or 40
1k attached to it.)Will tele-medicine become the new normal? What about education? Is the "30 kids in a box" model under fire with all these school closures? Fewer teachers? fewer schools? fewer companies to p rint textbooks? Coronavirus could (by force) answer difficult questions fo r us, that industry may have preferred not to ask. (Think: Teachers unions. )
FWIW: Where I work, we've layed-off (laid-off?) a few workers, and my gues s is we won't re-hire / fill those positions post-Coronavirus.
One more thought: Who's to say that workers (as a whole) go back to work where they came from (for those who lost their jobs)? After the big "re-shuffle" of employees, is it fair to say they all find employment? (Here, I'm thinking from a sk illset perspective, but clearly some small businesses will never recover an d those jobs will be lost).
I realize the macro-economy is much larger than a few textbooks and employe e musical chairs, but I also wonder if there are any (thus far) hidden obst acles to getting a $22T economy up and running. (After all, it seems to ta ke a lot to kill one!)
But alas, my reason for asking is selfish enough: I've got my eye on about 15 stocks that will ("famous last words") rebound significantly after this Coronavirus. But as of this week, they are all still in free-fall, or mos tly so. A few are depressed enough I could buy now, even if not at their r espective rock-bottom prices, and still feel good about it - since I could probably hold on to them as long as needed (within reason).
Note importantly that NO CRUISE LINES are on that list. I may be mistaken, but I think vacationers will pull the plug on that indus try for the foreseeable future. The Titanic would offer a better experienc e, and probably have a better ROI too.