Washington, DC CNN — Americans are on the verge of living through a historic economic event: inflation fully returning to normal — after a series of punishing interest rate hikes — without a recession. It’s a scenario that analysts refer to as a “soft landing.” The substantial progress seen so far may be due to a recent burst of productivity growth. Last year’s strong US productivity meant that workers raked in strong wage gains without employers having to pass on the buck to consumers, at least...