Americans are spending less time with friends, nights out are getting more expensive and even major sporting events are becoming harder to afford. Stephanie Flanders speaks with Bloomberg reporter Ben Steverman and economist and author Richard Layard about what the "fun shortage" says about the economy, rising inequality and whether loneliness is becoming a political and economic problem.

---

16 July 2026

---

Bloomberg Trumponomics (podcast)

---

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0qrq0lKYNRR1CuNb8WYuM3?si=1448c949eb5d43bf&nd=1&dlsi=57cd7e056dea4116

This publication comes under the following theme: Causes and effects of wellbeing