A humorous yet insightful study on Reddit has found that the presence of cardboard boxes signifies a recession in the United States. Rather than getting caught up in complex economic jargon, the simple fact is that when there are fewer boxes, there are fewer goods being produced, suggesting that a crisis is already underway. An analysis by Packaging Corp. of America, the largest box supplier, reveals that the sales of boxes closely resemble the trajectory of the 2008 financial crisis.