a chicken-and-egg situation, problem, etc.

idiomPart ofchicken

a chicken-and-egg situation, problem, etc. — idiom

1. A situation where it is unclear which of two things caused the other.

1.idiom
Definition

A situation where it is unclear which of two things caused the other.

Example

Mia faced a chicken-and-egg situation: she needed experience to get a job, but a job to get experience.

Is poverty the cause of crime, or crime the cause of poverty? It's a chicken-and-egg problem.