A man crosses State Street in downtown Chicago, the United States, on Jan. 1, 2022. A winter storm hit Chicago on Saturday, with snow accumulation expected to reach 10 to 18 centimeters.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

People are seen at the Rockefeller Center in New York, the United States, Jan. 4, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 

A health care worker reminds people waiting in line for COVID-19 testing at the Lincoln Heights Recreation Center testing site in Los Angeles, California, the United States, Jan. 2, 2022.(Photo: Xinhua)

 
After another tumultuous year plagued by COVID-19 variants, ordinary Americans are cautiously optimistic about 2022, saying economy will grow, but high prices will stay.

"I think the economy will grow slowly, but I think inflation will still be a problem," said 43-year-old Tiffany Harper, a performing arts event manager. "People are tired of following pandemic protocols and will become more lax, and the virus will continue to spread and mutate. I hope the economy picks up and people can return to work for a decent wage (in 2022)."

"Economically speaking, the general economy will continue to grow over time, with hills and valleys," said Joel Lerner, a sports photographer. "Inflation was a produce of the pandemic, and while the prices might not go back down to pre-pandemic levels, I think they will stop rising so fast."

Vincent Johnson, 48, is cautiously optimistic that 2022 will be better than 2020 and 2021. "The economy will continue to grow and that inflation was a product of the pandemic lockdown and will normalize," the photographer said.

"I believe that the economy will continue to grow and that the inflation is just caused by supply issues and corporations trying to make up for lost business. I think it will normalize," said John Campbell, a motion picture lighting technician.

"They (the U.S. government) need to find a way to pass the Build Back Better bill and show the country that they can accomplish the goal of raising the quality of life," Campbell added.

Chuck Lindo, a 55-year-old musician and commercial composer, is cautiously optimistic but not exuberant about the year of 2022. "Things will level off as far as what Americans will expect. People have showed resourcefulness and adaptableness, and I think new business models will continue to evolve," said Lindo, holding that the current prices might stick.

"Much of the friction we are feeling in the economy won't be long standing," Lindo stated.

Artist Jodi Swanson hopes the unemployment rate will go down. "It's concerning to see what is happening in the economy right now. I think we are all affected in different ways."

"I would like to believe that beyond this companies will be taking the possibility of a pandemic a more serious threat and new jobs will be created to prepare for that," said Swanson. "As for the government playing a role, I think we live in such a volatile political climate that they can't win either way."

It is a consensus of people interviewed that COVID-19 will remain a constant concern, but will be less lethal.

"COVID is going to be a constant concern and unless we control it, we will be right back in the worst times of 2020," said Campbell.

"We will still have a lot of COVID cases, but hopefully we will not have a variant as deadly as Delta," said Harper. "People have pandemic fatigue and are not able or willing to keep up with strict procedures."

"With each variant of the COVID virus, it gets a little less lethal and gets more and more like the flu or a cold," Johnson said hopefully.

"Like anyone, I wish for the pandemic to end," said 47-year-old Swanson. "However, I'm mentally prepared for it to get worse, but I'm optimistic that hope is on the horizon."

Harper hopes employers can realize they need to pay workers a living wage. "The federal government should impose a federal minimum wage that is tailored to each state's/region's cost of living."

Johnson is happy that he and his family have made it through the pandemic crisis so far and hopes they can handle anything that comes in 2022 or beyond.

Campbell expects the U.S. government to battle COVID-19 aggressively in 2022. "People need to get vaccinated. The government needs to prioritize messaging and get people to take it seriously."

"Nothing else matters if they don't do that," he stressed.

Lerner believes 2022 can be a much better year especially in the business world. But he is worried that there could be armed conflicts in some places in the world that could adversely affect the world's economy and general wellbeing. "I think we have a better chance at looking better to the rest of the world ... We need to find a way to stop thinking of other countries as enemies and realize we all live on one planet and it's the only one we have."