doldrums
noun [ plural ]
informal uk/ˈdɒldrəmz/ usa situation in which there is high unemployment, very little economic activity or growth, etc.:
Changes began during Japan's doldrums when the government tried to revive growth by steadily deregulating sections of the economy.
NASDAQ is down sharply again and its European counterparts are still in the doldrums.
economic/financial doldrums
What will it take to lift the UK manufacturing industry out of the doldrums?