Most of humanity (like 95%) are better off when the economy is doing poorly, as goods tend to get cheaper.
They’re cheaper because people are buying less.
People are buying less because they don’t have the money to buy more.
They don’t have the money because they’re out of a job.
They’re out of a job because the economy is in the toilet.
The super rich also love recessions. They still have money. If they want to acquire a company, they can do it for cheaper. The GCF of 2007-2009 is considered to be one of the largest wealth transfers and wealth consolidations in history.
You also have options that change depending on your skills and progress.
You can choose to bribe, persuade, manipulate, flex your muscles, or do them a favor. Sometimes you can choose to kill them if they’re not cooperating. If a task is related to one of your skills, you can show off your knowledge.
The whole no choice paradigm was much more true for FO4 than for Starfield.