In This Economy

In This Economyis acatchphraseused to suggest that the state of the economy is too negative to take part in a given task. The phrase has been used throughout the 2000s and is often usedironicallyonline as a meme to suggest that something unrelated to the economy can't be done because of the economy. The phrase became increasingly prominent online starting around 2008 during the Great Recession and continued to grow through the 2010s, also inspiring thephrasal template"X? In this economy?!" where "X" is a given subject painted as too risky to do "in this economy."