Why it matters: It suggests lurking risks for the year ahead that aren't reflected in a buoyant stock market and the generally sunny forecasts from mainstream forecasters and government officials.

By the numbers: The median respondent put the unemployment rate at the end of next year at 4.6%. That would be a meaningful rise from 4.2% last month and a continuation of the gradual move upward in joblessness that has occurred since 2023.

Between the lines: You would expect a softer labor market to translate into falling inflation pressure. The median Macro reader saw the opposite, which may be due to the expected onset of tariffs.

The intrigue: That may explain why you see basically no further Fed rate cuts next year, in contrast to Fed officials themselves who see two more rate cuts on the way.

Our favorite prediction in last year's reader survey was that 2024 would bring a shocker: a Taylor Swift-Beyoncé mega-concert that would single-handedly boost the economy.

As for 2025, many of you expect surprises in key areas: White House policy, what happens with the Fed and inflation, and AI.

One Macro reader, Chad C., expects Trump will have "very little effect on the economy in his first year."

Government debt and deficits are top of mind for you in 2025. Some readers anticipate the return of "bond vigilantes," or as one respondent put it: a "big sell-off in Treasury bonds on rising deficit and debt fears."

On AI, one reader says the "AI bubble will burst," while another says AI "inaccuracies and errors" will slow its progress.

The bottom line: No one knows how the economy will shake out next year, but one reader bets the biggest surprise "will be the lack of surprise.