Our back-of-the-envelope estimate indicates that the economy would suffer a modest 0.1% drag during the current quarter should the action last for a month. … READ MORE >
gross domestic product
U.S. second-half economic outlook: Muddling through
A rapid decline in inflation amid robust hiring and an unemployment rate that stands at 3.6% despite a steep rise in interest rates underscore a resilient American economy that refuses to go gently into that good night. … READ MORE >
What would happen if the government defaults on its debt?
Policy brinksmanship over lifting the debt ceiling and the threat of default it brings is increasing the cost of doing business and carries far more risk than is commonly acknowledged. … READ MORE >
Business spending on equipment falls more than expected
Orders and shipments of core capital goods that exclude defense and aircraft spending, a key measure of private business investment, both fell by 0.4% in March. … READ MORE >
Jobless claims inch up while revised GDP shows softer growth
New filings for jobless benefits inched up to 198,000 last week from 191,000 earlier, staying below the pre-pandemic level, while fourth-quarter gross domestic product was revised down slightly from a 2.7% increase to 2.6%. … READ MORE >
U.S. GDP: Resilient growth closes out a challenging year
A resilient American economy grew by 2.9% during the final three months of last year because of a strong increase in demand for services by consumers, fixed business investment and inventory restocking. … READ MORE >
U.S. GDP declines by 1.4%: This is what an overheating economy looks like
Growth in the first three months of the year contracted at a 1.4% pace as Americans turned to imports to meet torrid demand that is simply unsustainable. … READ MORE >
U.S. GDP increases 6.9% in fourth quarter
The American economy closed out last year on an upbeat note, finishing with a 6.9% growth rate in the fourth quarter on a seasonally adjusted annualized pace, the fastest pace since the 7.2% rate in 1984. … READ MORE >
Chart of the day: Omicron variant will extract a powerful economic toll
The omicron variant has caused many people to pull back on work and spending, which is why we have downgraded our first quarter growth forecast for gross domestic product to 1.5%. … READ MORE >
Our economic outlook for Canada in 2022
We see a Canadian economy growing around 4% on the year, inflation hitting 5% before easing to 2% by year’s end, and the unemployment rate declining to just above 6%. … READ MORE >