1. Duration. A short and mild recession might be something you hold through. A decade of zero growth -- while technically "no recession for the next decade" --

1. Duration. A short and mild recession might be something you hold through. A decade of zero growth -- while technically "no recession for the next decade" -- is quite different, especially for companies (like tech) whose current employment levels are targeted toward growth. 2. Disparate impact. You can have low or no GDP decline while still seeing some sectors take massive short-term and long-term hits.