Cracks in the Foundation? Five Structural Risks for 2026

Risk managers enter 2026 facing an unusually complex landscape marked by multiple structural shifts, including rapid technological advancements, significant demographic shifts, and record levels of government debt. While the number of challenges facing the economy in the latest Moody’s Analytics macroeconomic risk matrix is daunting, five risks stand out for their potential to disrupt business operations, strain finances, and  companies to fundamentally rethink how they manage uncertainty in 2026.

Here, we examine these critical risks and outline the steps risk managers should take to prevent and mitigate their impact.

The Federal Reserve is trying to thread a needle that keeps getting smaller. Raising interest rates or keeping them elevated for too long could lead companies to lay off workers as credit costs pinch budgets, aggregate demand falls, and the economy slides towards recession.

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