The U.S. economy grew more quickly than previously estimated in the fourth quarter as businesses maintained fairly solid spending and restocked shelves. Gross domestic product growth was revised up to an annualized rate of 3.1 percent, the Commerce Department said in its final estimate, close to its initial estimate of 3.2 percent. Get the full story »
Inside these posts: Economic output
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Americans say China’s economy is No. 1
Only one in five Americans believe that the U.S. has the world’s strongest economy, while 47 percent believe that China deserves that honor, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Northbrook-based Allstate Corp. and the National Journal.
It’s the first time that the Allstate-National Journal Heartland Monitor Poll has posed the question.
The survey also found that 67 percent of Americans believe that their financial situation will get worse or remain the same in 2011, rather than improve. Get the full story »
Roubini: U.S. on track for ‘fiscal train wreck’
NYU economics professor Nouriel Roubini. (Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)
The U.S. economy is a “fiscal train wreck” waiting to happen that risks ushering in a period of stagnation featuring minimal growth, high unemployment and deflationary pressure, U.S. economist Nouriel Roubini wrote on Friday.
In a commentary for the Financial Times, Roubini — one of the first economists to predict the housing crash in the United States and known as ‘Dr Doom’ for his pessimistic forecasts — said fiscal and monetary stimulus had prevented another depression.
But he said that further quantitative easing likely to be announced by the Federal Reserve next Wednesday will have little effect on U.S. growth in 2011, “so fiscal policy should be doing some of the lifting to prevent a double dip recession,” he said. Get the full story »
China becomes No. 2 economy ahead of Japan
Reporting from Beijing and Tokyo – China’s economy surpassed Japan’s as the world’s second-largest – a highly anticipated milestone rich in symbolism for a developing country that began market reforms only three decades ago.
The news came Monday when Japan’s government said its economic output in the second quarter slowed to $1.28 trillion, short of the $1.33 trillion China reported for the same period.
