A series of new economic figures this morning cast fresh gloom on the health of the U.S. economy.
The economy grew much less than expected in the second quarter, new Labor Department estimates show. Second quarter GDP was revised lower to 1.3% from an earlier 1.7%. (Economists believed that GDP would be revised lower to 1.6%.) Declining consumer spending and business investment combined to weigh mightily on economic activity.
More troubling still is what this suggests about the third quarter. Little has surfaced to point to a pick-up, meaning that it’s unlikely the economy will grow much more than before. In short, today’s data sends “a notable red flag for U.S. growth,” says Action Economics‘ Michael Englund.
U.S. economic growth turned even more anemic after the first quarter, when GDP grew by 2%. Manufacturing, a key driver of the economy earlier in the recession, has cooled, the result of an uncertain U.S. political outlook and slowed global demand.
More Proof The U.S. Economy Is Falling Apart: GDP Revision A Grim Surprise - Forbes
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