Monday, October 5, 2020

Dollar Carry Trades Induced from Zero Interest Rates to Risk Financial Assets, Mediocre Cyclical United States Economic Growth with GDP Five Trillion Dollars below Trend in the Lost Economic Cycle of the Global Recession with Economic Growth Underperforming Below Trend Worldwide, Cyclically Stagnating Real Private Fixed Investment, Swelling Undistributed Corporate Profits, United States Terms of International Trade, United States Housing, United States House Prices, United States House Prices, World Cyclical Slow Growth, and Government Intervention in Globalization: Part I

 

Carlos M. Pelaez

 

© Carlos M. Pelaez, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

 

IA Mediocre Cyclical United States Economic Growth

            IA1 Stagnating Real Private Fixed Investment

            IA2 Swelling Undistributed Corporate Profits

IID United States Terms of International Trade

IIA United States Housing Collapse

            IIA1 Sales of New Houses

            IIA2 United States House Prices

III World Financial Turbulence

IV Global Inflation

V World Economic Slowdown

VA United States

VB Japan

VC China

VD Euro Area

VE Germany

VF France

VG Italy

VH United Kingdom

VI Valuation of Risk Financial Assets

VII Economic Indicators

VIII Interest Rates

IX Conclusion

References

Appendixes

Appendix I The Great Inflation

IIIB Appendix on Safe Haven Currencies

IIIC Appendix on Fiscal Compact

IIID Appendix on European Central Bank Large Scale Lender of Last Resort

IIIG Appendix on Deficit Financing of Growth and the Debt Crisis

 

I Mediocre Cyclical United States Economic Growth with GDP Five Trillion Dollars below Trend. IA Mediocre Cyclical United States Economic Growth provides the analysis of long-term and cyclical growth of GDP in the US with GDP Five Trillion Dollars or 16.2 Percent Below trend. Section IA1 Stagnating Real Private Fixed Investment analyzes weakness in investment in the initial part of the  cycle followed by stronger performance and recent weakness in the global recession, with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Section IA2 Swelling Undistributed Corporate Profits provides analysis of corporate profits. Section IID United States International Terms of Trade provides data and analysis of relative prices in US international trade.

 

There is socio-economic stress in the combination of adverse events and cyclical performance:

 

and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/07/fluctuating-risk-financial-assets.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/06/fluctuating-financial-asset-valuations.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/fluctuating-valuations-of-financial.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/global-portfolio-reallocations-squeeze.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/03/impatience-with-monetary-policy-of.html and earlier (http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/world-financial-turbulence-squeeze-of.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/exchange-rate-conflicts-squeeze-of.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2014/12/patience-on-interest-rate-increases.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2014/11/squeeze-of-economic-activity-by-carry.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2014/10/imf-view-squeeze-of-economic-activity.html and earlier http://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/world-inflation-waves-squeeze-of.html)

 

 

 

The Bureau of Economic Analysis revised the national accounts of the United States since 1929 (https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2018/pdf/gdp2q18_adv.pdf):

“Comprehensive Update of the National Income and Product Accounts The estimates released today also reflect the results of the 15th comprehensive update of the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs). The updated estimates reflect previously announced improvements, and include the introduction of new not seasonally adjusted estimates for GDP, GDI, and their major components. For more information, see the Technical Note. Revised NIPA table stubs, initial results, and background materials are available on the BEA Web site.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis provided the annual revision of the national product accounts in the release of the first estimate or advanced estimate of IIQ2019 GDP (https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2019-07/gdp2q19_adv.pdf): “The estimates released today also reflect the results of the Annual Update of the National Income and

Product Accounts (NIPAs). The update covers the first quarter of 2014 through the first quarter of 2019.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis provides the annual revision of the national product accounts in the release of the first estimate or advanced estimate of IIQ2020 GDP (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/gdp2q20_adv.pdf): “The estimates released today also reflect the results of the Annual Update of the National Income and

Product Accounts (NIPAs). The timespan of the update is the first quarter of 2015 through the fourth quarter of 2019 for estimates of real GDP and its major components, and the first quarter of 1999 through the fourth quarter of 2019 for estimates of income and saving. The reference year remains 2012. More information on the 2020 Annual Update is included in the May Survey of Current Business article, “GDP and the Economy.””

Long-term economic performance in the United States consisted of trend growth of GDP at 3 percent per year and of per capita GDP at 2 percent per year as measured for 1870 to 2010 by Robert E Lucas (2011May). The economy returned to trend growth after adverse events such as wars and recessions. The key characteristic of adversities such as recessions was much higher rates of growth in expansion periods that permitted the economy to recover output, income and employment losses that occurred during the contractions. Over the business cycle, the economy compensated the losses of contractions with higher growth in expansions to maintain trend growth of GDP of 3 percent and of GDP per capita of 2 percent. The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. US economic growth has been at only 1.2 percent on average in the cyclical expansion in the 44 quarters from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Boskin (2010Sep) measures that the US economy grew at 6.2 percent in the first four quarters and 4.5 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the second quarter of 1975; and at 7.7 percent in the first four quarters and 5.8 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the first quarter of 1983 (Professor Michael J. Boskin, Summer of Discontent, Wall Street Journal, Sep 2, 2010 http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882304575465462926649950.html). There are new calculations using the revision of US GDP and personal income data since 1929 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (http://bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) and the third estimate of GDP for IIQ2020 (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf). The average of 7.7 percent in the first four quarters of major cyclical expansions is in contrast with the rate of growth in the first four quarters of the expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010 of only 2.8 percent obtained by dividing GDP of $15,557.3 billion in IIQ2010 by GDP of $15,134.1 billion in IIQ2009 {[($15,557.3/$15,134.1) -1]100 = 2.8%], or accumulating the quarter on quarter growth rates (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1986 was at the average annual  growth rate of 5.7 percent, 5.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1986, 5.1 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1986, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1989, 4.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1989, 4.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1989, 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1989. 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1990, 4.4 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1990, 4.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1990, 4.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1990, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ2019, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1993 and at 7.9 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1983 (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. Growth at trend in the entire cycle from IVQ2007 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event would have accumulated to 44.7 percent. GDP in IIQ2020 would be $22,807.6 billion (in constant dollars of 2012) if the US had grown at trend, which is higher by $5505.1 billion than actual $17,302.5 billion. There are more than five trillion dollars of GDP less than at trend, explaining the 34.8 million unemployed or underemployed equivalent to actual unemployment/underemployment of 20.2 percent of the effective labor force with the largest part originating in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/exchange-rate-fluctuations-1.html and earlier https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/thirty-eight-million-unemployed-or.html). Unemployment is decreasing while employment is increasing in initial adjustment of the lockdown of economic activity in the global recession resulting from the COVID-19 event (https://www.bls.gov/cps/employment-situation-covid19-faq-june-2020.pdf). US GDP in IIQ2020 is 24.1 percent lower than at trend. US GDP grew from $15,762.0 billion in IVQ2007 in constant dollars to $17,302.5 billion in IIQ2020 or 9.8 percent at the average annual equivalent rate of 0.7 percent. Professor John H. Cochrane (2014Jul2) estimates US GDP at more than 10 percent below trend. Cochrane (2016May02) measures GDP growth in the US at average 3.5 percent per year from 1950 to 2000 and only at 1.76 percent per year from 2000 to 2015 with only at 2.0 percent annual equivalent in the current expansion. Cochrane (2016May02) proposes drastic changes in regulation and legal obstacles to private economic activity. The US missed the opportunity to grow at higher rates during the expansion and it is difficult to catch up because growth rates in the final periods of expansions tend to decline. The US missed the opportunity for recovery of output and employment always afforded in the first four quarters of expansion from recessions. Zero interest rates and quantitative easing were not required or present in successful cyclical expansions and in secular economic growth at 3.0 percent per year and 2.0 percent per capita as measured by Lucas (2011May). There is cyclical uncommonly slow growth in the US instead of allegations of secular stagnation. There is similar behavior in manufacturing. There is classic research on analyzing deviations of output from trend (see for example Schumpeter 1939, Hicks 1950, Lucas 1975, Sargent and Sims 1977). The long-term trend is growth of manufacturing at average 2.9 percent per year from Aug 1919 to Aug 2020. Growth at 2.9 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 155.5554 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841 which is 36.2 percent below trend. The underperformance of manufacturing in Mar-Aug 2020 originates partly in the earlier global recession augmented by the current global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19. Manufacturing grew at the average annual rate of 3.3 percent between Dec 1986 and Dec 2006. Growth at 3.3 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 163.3909 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841, which is 39.2 percent below trend. Manufacturing output grew at average 1.7 percent between Dec 1986 and Aug 2020. Using trend growth of 1.7 percent per year, the index would increase to 134.0774 in Aug 2020. The output of manufacturing at 99.2841 in Aug 2020 is 26.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation. Using the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), manufacturing output fell from the high of 110.5147 in Jun 2007 to the low of 86.3800 in Apr 2009 or 21.8 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased from 86.3800 in Apr 2009 to 100.4257 in Aug 2020 or 16.3 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased at the annual equivalent rate of 3.5 percent from Dec 1986 to Dec 2006. Growth at 3.5 percent would increase the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 164.9372 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 39.1 below trend. The NAICS manufacturing output index grew at 1.7 percent annual equivalent from Dec 1999 to Dec 2006. Growth at 1.7 percent would raise the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 132.0705 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 24.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation.

The economy of the US can be summarized in growth of economic activity or GDP as fluctuating from mediocre growth of 2.6 percent on an annual basis in 2010 to 1.6 percent in 2011, 2.2 percent in 2012, 1.8 percent in 2013, 2.5 percent in 2014 and 3.1 percent in 2015. GDP growth was 1.7 percent in 2016 and 2.3 percent in 2017. GDP growth was 3.0 percent in 2018 and 2.2 percent in 2019. The following calculations show that actual growth is around 1.2 percent per year during the expansion phase. The rate of growth of 1.7 percent in the entire cycle from 2007 to 2019 is well below 3 percent per year in trend from 1870 to 2010, which the economy of the US always attained for entire cycles in expansions after events such as wars and recessions (Lucas 2011May). Revisions and enhancements of United States GDP and personal income accounts by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) provides valuable information on long-term growth and cyclical behavior. Table Summary provides relevant data.

Table Summary, Long-term and Cyclical Growth of GDP, Real Disposable Income and Real Disposable Income per Capita

 

GDP

 

Long-Term

 

 

1929-2019

3.2

 

1947-2019

3.2

 

Whole Cycles

 

 

1980-1989

3.5

 

2006-2019

1.7

 

2007-2019

1.7

 

Cyclical Contractions ∆%

 

 

IQ1980 to IIIQ1980, IIIQ1981 to IVQ1982

-4.8

 

IVQ2007 to IIQ2009

-4.0

 

Cyclical Expansions Average Annual Equivalent ∆%

 

 

IQ1983 to IVQ1985

IQ1983-IQ1986

IQ1983-IIIQ1986

IQ1983-IVQ1986

IQ1983-IQ1987

IQ1983-IIQ1987

IQ1983-IIIQ1987

IQ1983 to IVQ1987

IQ1983 to IQ1988

IQ1983 to IIQ1988

IQ1983 to IIIQ1988

IQ1983 to IVQ1988

IQ1983 to IQ1989

IQ1983 to IIQ1989

IQ1983 to IIIQ1989

IQ1983 to IVQ1989

IQ1983 to IQ1990

IQ1983 to IIQ1990

IQ1983 to IIIQ1990

IQ1983 to IVQ1990

5.9

5.7

5.3

5.1

5.0

5.0

4.9

5.0

4.9

4.9

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.7

4.6

4.5

4.5

4.4

4.3

4.0

 

IQ1983 to IQ1991

IQ1983 to IIQ1991

IQ1983 to IIIQ1991

IQ1983 to IVQ1991

IQ1983 to IQ1992

IQ1983 to IIQ1992

IQ1983 to IIIQ1992

IQ1983 to IVQ1992

IQ1983 to IQ1993

IQ1983 to IIQ1993

IQ1983 to IIIQ1993

IQ1983 to IV1993

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.8

3.7

3.6

3.6

3.7

 

First Four Quarters IQ1983 to IVQ1983

7.9

 

IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020

1.2

 

First Four Quarters IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010

2.8

 

 

Real Disposable Income

Real Disposable Income per Capita

Long-Term

 

 

1929-2019

3.2

2.0

1947-1999

3.7

2.3

Whole Cycles

 

 

1980-1989

3.5

2.6

2006-2019

2.2

1.5

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

The revisions and enhancements of United States GDP and personal income accounts by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (http://bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) also provide critical information in assessing the current rhythm of US economic growth. The economy appears to be moving at a pace around 1.2 percent per year. Table Summary GDP provides the data.

 

  1. Average Annual Growth in the Past Thirty-Three Quarters. GDP growth in the four quarters of 2012, the four quarters of 2013, the four quarters of 2014, the four quarters of 2015, the four quarters of 2016, the four quarters of 2017, the four quarters of 2018, the four quarters of 2019 and the two quarters of 2020 accumulated to 8.1 percent. This growth is equivalent to 0.9 percent per year, obtained by dividing GDP in IIQ2020 of $17,302.5 billion by GDP in IVQ2011 of $16,004.1 billion and compounding by 4/34: {[($17,302.5/$16,004.1)4/34 -1]100 = 0.9 percent}.
  2. Average Annual Growth in the Past Four Quarters. GDP growth in the four quarters from IQ2019 to IIQ2020 accumulated to minus 9.0 percent that is equivalent to minus 31.4 percent in a year. This is obtained by dividing GDP in IIQ2020 of $17,302.5 billion by GDP in IIQ2019 of $19,020.6 billion and compounding by 4/4: {[($17,302.5/$19,020.6)4/4 -1]100 = -9.0%}. The US economy decreased 9.0 percent in IIQ2020 relative to the same quarter a year earlier in IIQ2019 (See Table 6 at https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf and the complete data at https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). Growth was at annual equivalent 5.5 percent in IIQ2014 and 5.0 percent IIIQ2014 and only at 2.3 percent in IVQ2014. GDP grew at annual equivalent 3.8 percent in IQ2015, 2.7 percent in IIQ2015, 1.5 percent in IIIQ2015 and 0.6 percent in IVQ2015. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.3 percent in IQ2016 and at 1.3 percent annual equivalent in IIQ2016. GDP increased at 2.2 percent annual equivalent in IIIQ2016 and at 2.5 percent in IVQ2016. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.3 percent in IQ2017 and at annual equivalent 1.7 percent in IIQ2017. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.9 percent in IIIQ2017. GDP grew at annual equivalent 3.9 percent in IVQ2017. GDP grew at annual equivalent 3.8 percent in IQ2018, increasing at 2.7 percent annual equivalent in IIQ2018. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.1 percent in IIIQ2018 and at 1.3 percent in IVQ2018. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.9 percent in IQ2019 and at annual equivalent 1.5 percent in IIQ2019. GDP grew at annual equivalent 2.6 percent in IIIQ2019 and at 2.4 percent annual equivalent in IVQ2019. Growth was at annual equivalent minus 5.0 percent in IQ2020. Growth was at annual equivalent minus 31.4 percent in IIQ2020. Another important revelation of the revisions and enhancements is that GDP was flat at 0.1 in IVQ2012, which is in the borderline of contraction, and negative in IQ2014. US GDP fell 0.3 percent in IQ2014. The rate of growth of GDP in the revision of IIIQ2013 is 3.2 percent in seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR).

 

Table Summary GDP, US, Real GDP and Percentage Change Relative to IVQ2007 and Prior Quarter, Billions Chained 2012 Dollars and ∆%

 

Real GDP, Billions Chained 2012 Dollars

∆% Relative to IVQ2007

∆% Relative to Prior Quarter

∆%
over
Year Earlier

IVQ2007

15,762.0

NA

0.6

2.0

IVQ2011

16,004.1

1.5

1.2

1.6

IQ2012

16,129.5

2.3

0.8

2.7

IIQ2012

16,198.8

2.8

0.4

2.4

IIIQ2012

16,220.7

2.9

0.1

2.5

IVQ2012

16,239.1

3.0

0.1

1.5

IQ2013

16,383.0

3.9

0.9

1.6

IIQ2013

16,403.2

4.1

0.1

1.3

IIIQ2013

16,531.7

4.9

0.8

1.9

IVQ2013

16,663.6

5.7

0.8

2.6

IQ2014

16,616.5

5.4

-0.3

1.4

IIQ2014

16,841.5

6.8

1.4

2.7

IIIQ2014

17,047.1

8.2

1.2

3.1

IVQ2014

17,143.0

8.8

0.6

2.9

IQ2015

17,305.8

9.8

0.9

4.1

IIQ2015

17,422.8

10.5

0.7

3.5

IIIQ2015

17,486.0

10.9

0.4

2.6

IVQ2015

17,514.1

11.1

0.2

2.2

IQ2016

17,613.3

11.7

0.6

1.8

IIQ2016

17,668.2

12.1

0.3

1.4

IIIQ2016

17,764.4

12.7

0.5

1.6

IVQ2016

17,876.2

13.4

0.6

2.1

IQ2017

17,977.3

14.1

0.6

2.1

IIQ2017

18,054.1

14.5

0.4

2.2

IIIQ2017

18,185.6

15.4

0.7

2.4

IVQ2017

18,359.4

16.5

1.0

2.7

IQ2018

18,530.5

17.6

0.9

3.1

IIQ2018

18,654.4

18.4

0.7

3.3

IIIQ2018

18,752.4

19.0

0.5

3.1

IVQ2018

18,813.9

19.4

0.3

2.5

IQ2019

18,950.3

20.2

0.7

2.3

IIQ2019

19,020.6

20.7

0.4

2.0

IIIQ2019

19,141.7

21.4

0.6

2.1

IVQ2019

19,254.0

22.2

0.6

2.3

IQ2020

19,010.8

20.6

-1.3

0.3

IIQ2020

17,302.5

9.8

-9.0

-9.0

Cumulative ∆% IQ2012 to IIQ2020

8.1

 

 

Annual Equivalent ∆%

0.9

 

 

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart GDP of the US Bureau of Economic Analysis provides the rates of growth of GDP at SAAR (seasonally adjusted annual rate) in the 16 quarters from IIIQ2016 to IIQ2020. Growth has been fluctuating. The final data point is minus 31.4 in percent in IIQ2020 in the global recession, with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.


Chart GDP, Seasonally Adjusted Quarterly Rates of Growth of United States GDP, ∆%

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://www.bea.gov/data/gdp/gross-domestic-product

Historical parallels are instructive but have all the limitations of empirical research in economics. The more instructive comparisons are not with the Great Depression of the 1930s but rather with the recessions in the 1950s, 1970s and 1980s. The growth rates and job creation in the expansion of the economy away from recession are subpar in the current expansion compared to others in the past. Four recessions are initially considered, following the reference dates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html): IIQ1953-IIQ1954, IIIQ1957-IIQ1958, IIIQ1973-IQ1975 and IQ1980-IIIQ1980. The data for the earlier contractions illustrate that the growth rate and job creation in the current expansion are inferior. The sharp contractions of the 1950s and 1970s are considered in Table I-1, showing the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) quarter-to-quarter, seasonally adjusted (SA), yearly-equivalent growth rates of GDP. The recovery from the recession of 1953 consisted of four consecutive quarters of high percentage growth rates from IIQ1954 to IIIQ1955: 4.6, 8.1, 11.9 and 6.7. The recession of 1957 was followed by four consecutive high percentage growth rates from IIIQ1958 to IIQ1959: 9.6, 9.7, 7.9 and 9.3. The recession of 1973-1975 was followed by high percentage growth rates from IIQ1975 to IQ1976: 2.9, 7.0, 5.5 and 9.3. The disaster of the Great Inflation and Unemployment of the 1970s, which made stagflation notorious, is even better in growth rates during the expansion phase in comparison with the current cycle slow-growth recession.

Table I-1, US, Seasonally Adjusted Quarterly Percentage Growth Rates in Annual Equivalent of GDP in Cyclical Recessions and Following Four Quarter Expansions ∆%

 

IQ

IIQ

IIIQ

IV

R IIQ1953-IIQ1954

 

 

 

 

1953

 

 

-2.2

-5.9

1954

-1.9

 

 

 

E IIIQ1954-IIQ1955

 

 

 

 

1954

 

 

4.6

8.1

1955

11.9

6.7

 

 

R IIIQ1957-IIQ1958

 

 

 

 

1957

 

 

 

-4.1

1958

-10.0

 

 

 

E IIIQ1958-IIQ1959

 

 

 

 

1958

 

 

9.6

9.7

1959

7.9

9.3

 

 

R IVQ1969-IV1970

 

 

 

 

1969

 

 

 

-1.9

1970

-0.6

 

 

 

E IIQ1970-IQ1971

 

 

 

 

1970

 

0.6

3.7

-4.2

1971

11.3

 

 

 

R IVQ1973-IQ1975

 

 

 

 

1973

 

 

 

3.8

1974

-3.4

1.0

-3.7

-1.5

1975

-4.8

 

 

 

E IIQ1975-IQ1976

 

 

 

 

1975

 

2.9

7.0

5.5

1976

9.3

 

 

 

R IQ1980-IIIQ1980

 

 

 

 

1980

1.3

-8.0

-0.5

 

R IQ1981-IVQ1982

 

 

 

 

1981

8.1

-2.9

4.9

-4.3

1982

-6.1

1.8

-1.5

0.2

E IQ1983-IVQ1983

 

 

 

 

1983

5.4

9.4

8.2

8.6

R IVQ2007-IIQ2009

 

 

 

 

2008

-2.3

2.1

-2.1

-8.4

2009

-4.4

-0.6

 

 

E IIIQ2009-IIQ2010

 

 

 

 

2009

 

 

1.5

4.5

2010

1.5

3.7

 

 

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

The NBER dates another recession in 1980 that lasted about half a year. If the two recessions from IQ1980s to IIIQ1980 and IIIQ1981 to IVQ1982 are combined, the impact of lost GDP of 4.8 percent is more comparable to the latest revised 4.0 percent drop of the recession from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009. The recession in 1981-1982 is quite similar on its own to the 2007-2009 recession. In contrast, during the Great Depression in the four years of 1930 to 1933, GDP in constant dollars fell 26.4 percent cumulatively and fell 45.3 percent in current dollars (Pelaez and Pelaez, Financial Regulation after the Global Recession (2009a), 150-2, Pelaez and Pelaez, Globalization and the State, Vol. II (2009b), 205-7 and revisions in https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). Table I-2 provides the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) quarterly growth rates of GDP in SA yearly equivalents for the recessions of 1981 to 1982 and 2007 to 2009, using the latest major revision published on Jul 27, 2016, subsequent revisions, the revision since 1929 (https://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/national/gdp/2018/pdf/gdp2q18_adv.pdf), revising data since 1929 (“Comprehensive Update of the National Income and Product Accounts The estimates released today also reflect the results of the 15th comprehensive update of the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs). The updated estimates reflect previously announced improvements and include the introduction of new not seasonally adjusted estimates for GDP, GDI, and their major components. For more information, see the Technical Note. Revised NIPA table stubs, initial results, and background materials are available on the BEA Web site.”) and the third estimate for IIQ2019 (https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2019-09/gdp2q19_3rd.pdf) revising estimates from IQ2014 through IQ2019, which are available in the dataset of the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). The first estimate for IIQ2020 (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/gdp2q20_adv.pdf) provides the annual update: (The estimates released today also reflect the results of the Annual Update of the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs). The timespan of the update is the first quarter of 2015 through the fourth quarter of 2019 for estimates of real GDP and its major components, and the first quarter of 1999 through the fourth quarter of 2019 for estimates of income and saving. The reference year remains 2012. More information on the 2020 Annual Update is included in the May Survey of Current Business article, “GDP and the Economy https://apps.bea.gov/scb/2020/05-may/0520-gdp-economy.htm#annual-update.” There is a third estimate of GDP for IIQ2020 (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf). There were four quarters of contraction in 1981-1982 ranging in rate from -1.5 percent to -6.1 percent and five quarters of contraction in 2007-2009 ranging in rate from -0.6 percent to -8.4 percent. The striking difference is that in the first forty one quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1993, shown in Table I-2 in relief, GDP grew at the high quarterly percentage growth rates of 5.4, 9.4, 8.2, 8.6, 8.1, 7.1, 3.9, 3.3, 3.9, 3.6, 6.2, 3.0, 3.8, 1.8, 3.9, 2.2, 3.0, 4.4, 3.5, 7.0, 2.1, 5.4, 2.4, 5.4, 4.1, 3.1, 3.0, 0.8, 4.4, 1.5, 0.3, minus 3.6, minus 1.9, 3.2, 2.0, 1.4 , 4.9, 4.4, 4.0, 4.2, 0.7, 2.3, 1.9, and 5.6 in IVQ1993. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). Table III-1 shows weaker performance in IIQ1990 and IIIQ1990 and contractions at 3.6 percent in IVQ1990 and 1.9 percent in IQ1991. In contrast, the percentage growth rates in the first forty one quarters of expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIIQ2019 shown in relief in Table I-2 were mediocre: 1.5, 4.5, 1.5, 3.7, 3.0, 2.0, -1.0, 2.9, -0.1, 4.7, 3.2, 1.7, 0.5, 0.5, 3.6, 0.5, 3.2, 3.2, minus 1.1, 5.5, 5.0, 2.3, 3.8, 2.7, 1.5, 0.6, 2.3, 1.3, 2.2, 2.5, 2.3, 1.7, 2.9, 3.9, 3.8, 2.7, 2.1, 1.3, 2.9, 1.5, 2.6, 2.4, minus 5.0 and minus 31.4 in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19. Economic growth and employment creation continued at slow rhythm during 2012 and in 2013-2019 while much stronger growth would be required in movement to full employment. The cycle is now long by historical standards and growth rates are typically weaker in the final periods of cyclical expansions.

Table I-2, US, Quarterly Growth Rates of GDP, % Annual Equivalent SA

Q

1981

1982

1983

1984

2008

2009

2010

I

8.1

-6.1

5.4

8.1

-2.3

-4.4

1.5

II

-2.9

1.8

9.4

7.1

2.1

-0.6

3.7

III

4.9

-1.5

8.2

3.9

-2.1

1.5

3.0

IV

-4.3

0.2

8.6

3.3

-8.4

4.5

2.0

 

 

 

 

1985

 

 

2011

I

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

-1.0

II

 

 

 

3.6

 

 

2.9

III

 

 

 

6.2

 

 

-0.1

IV

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

 

1986

 

 

2012

I

 

 

 

3.8

 

 

3.2

II

 

 

 

1.8

 

 

1.7

III

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

0.5

IV

 

 

 

2.2

 

 

0.5

 

 

 

 

1987

 

 

2013

I

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

3.6

II

 

 

 

4.4

 

 

0.5

III

 

 

 

3.5

 

 

3.2

IV

 

 

 

7.0

 

 

3.2

 

 

 

 

1988

 

 

2014

I

 

 

 

2.1

 

 

-1.1

II

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

 5.5

III

 

 

 

2.4

 

 

 5.0

IV

 

 

 

5.4

 

 

 2.3

 

 

 

 

1989

 

 

2015

I

 

 

 

4.1

 

 

3.8

II

 

 

 

3.1

 

 

2.7

III

 

 

 

3.0

 

 

1.5

IV

 

 

 

0.8

 

 

0.6

 

 

 

 

1990

 

 

2016

I

 

 

 

4.4

 

 

2.3

II

 

 

 

1.5

 

 

1.3

III

 

 

 

0.3

 

 

2.2

IV

 

 

 

-3.6

 

 

2.5

 

 

 

 

1991

 

 

2017

I

 

 

 

-1.9

 

 

2.3

II

 

 

 

3.2

 

 

1.7

III

 

 

 

2.0

 

 

2.9

IV

 

 

 

1.4

 

 

3.9

 

 

 

 

1992

 

 

2018

I

 

 

 

4.9

 

 

3.8

II

 

 

 

4.4

 

 

2.7

III

 

 

 

4.0

 

 

2.1

IV

 

 

 

4.2

 

 

1.3

 

 

 

 

1993

 

 

2019

I

 

 

 

0.7

 

 

2.9

II

 

 

 

2.3

 

 

1.5

III

 

 

 

1.9

 

 

2.6

IV

 

 

 

5.6

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

 

1994

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

3.9

 

 

-5.0

II

 

 

 

5.5

 

 

-31.4

III

 

 

 

2.4

 

 

 

IV

 

 

 

4.7

 

 

 

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-1 provides the real GDP of the US between 1929 and 1999. US GDP grew at the yearly average rate of 3.5 percent between 1929 and 1999. There is an evident acceleration of the rate of GDP growth in the 1990s as shown by a much sharper slope of the growth curve. Cobet and Wilson (2002) define labor productivity as the value of manufacturing output produced per unit of labor input used (see Pelaez and Pelaez, The Global Recession Risk (2007), 137-44). Between 1950 and 2000, labor productivity in the US grew less rapidly than in Germany and Japan. The major part of the increase in productivity in Germany and Japan occurred between 1950 and 1973 while the rate of productivity growth in the US was relatively subdued in several periods. While Germany and Japan reached their highest growth rates of productivity before 1973, the US accelerated its rate of productivity growth in the second half of the 1990s. Between 1950 and 2000, the rate of productivity growth in the US of 2.9 percent per year was much lower than 6.3 percent in Japan and 4.7 percent in Germany. Between 1995 and 2000, the rate of productivity growth of the US of 4.6 percent exceeded that of Japan of 3.9 percent and the rate of Germany of 2.6 percent.

 


Chart I-1, US, Real GDP 1929-1999

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-1A provides real GDP annually from 1929 to 2019. Growth after the global recession from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009 has not been sufficiently high to compensate for the contraction as it had in past economic cycles. The drop of output in the recession from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009 has been followed by anemic recovery compared with return to trend at 3.0 percent from 1870 to 2010 after events such as wars and recessions (Lucas 2011May) and a standstill that can lead to growth recession, or low rates of economic growth. The expansion is relatively long compared to earlier expansion and there could be even another contraction or conventional recession in the future. This could be a fact in the global recession, with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. The average rate of growth from 1947 to 2019 is 3.2 percent. The average growth rate from IV2007 to IIQ2020 is only 0.7 percent in contrast with 2.9 percent annual equivalent from the end of the recession in IVQ2001 to the end of the expansion in IVQ2007. US economic growth has been at only 1.2 percent on average in the cyclical expansion in the 44 quarters from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Boskin (2010Sep) measures that the US economy grew at 6.2 percent in the first four quarters and 4.5 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the second quarter of 1975; and at 7.7 percent in the first four quarters and 5.8 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the first quarter of 1983 (Professor Michael J. Boskin, Summer of Discontent, Wall Street Journal, Sep 2, 2010 http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882304575465462926649950.html). There are new calculations using the revision of US GDP and personal income data since 1929 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (http://bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) and the third estimate of GDP for IIQ2020 (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf). The average of 7.7 percent in the first four quarters of major cyclical expansions is in contrast with the rate of growth in the first four quarters of the expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010 of only 2.8 percent obtained by dividing GDP of $15,557.3 billion in IIQ2010 by GDP of $15,134.1 billion in IIQ2009 {[($15,557.3/$15,134.1) -1]100 = 2.8%], or accumulating the quarter on quarter growth rates (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1986 was at the average annual  growth rate of 5.7 percent, 5.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1986, 5.1 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1986, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1989, 4.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1989, 4.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1989, 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1989. 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1990, 4.4 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1990, 4.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1990, 4.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1990, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ2019, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1993 and at 7.9 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1983 (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. Growth at trend in the entire cycle from IVQ2007 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event would have accumulated to 44.7 percent. GDP in IIQ2020 would be $22,807.6 billion (in constant dollars of 2012) if the US had grown at trend, which is higher by $5505.1 billion than actual $17,302.5 billion. There are more than five trillion dollars of GDP less than at trend, explaining the 34.8 million unemployed or underemployed equivalent to actual unemployment/underemployment of 20.2 percent of the effective labor force with the largest part originating in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/exchange-rate-fluctuations-1.html and earlier https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/thirty-eight-million-unemployed-or.html). Unemployment is decreasing while employment is increasing in initial adjustment of the lockdown of economic activity in the global recession resulting from the COVID-19 event (https://www.bls.gov/cps/employment-situation-covid19-faq-june-2020.pdf). US GDP in IIQ2020 is 24.1 percent lower than at trend. US GDP grew from $15,762.0 billion in IVQ2007 in constant dollars to $17,302.5 billion in IIQ2020 or 9.8 percent at the average annual equivalent rate of 0.7 percent. Professor John H. Cochrane (2014Jul2) estimates US GDP at more than 10 percent below trend. Cochrane (2016May02) measures GDP growth in the US at average 3.5 percent per year from 1950 to 2000 and only at 1.76 percent per year from 2000 to 2015 with only at 2.0 percent annual equivalent in the current expansion. Cochrane (2016May02) proposes drastic changes in regulation and legal obstacles to private economic activity. The US missed the opportunity to grow at higher rates during the expansion and it is difficult to catch up because growth rates in the final periods of expansions tend to decline. The US missed the opportunity for recovery of output and employment always afforded in the first four quarters of expansion from recessions. Zero interest rates and quantitative easing were not required or present in successful cyclical expansions and in secular economic growth at 3.0 percent per year and 2.0 percent per capita as measured by Lucas (2011May). There is cyclical uncommonly slow growth in the US instead of allegations of secular stagnation. There is similar behavior in manufacturing. There is classic research on analyzing deviations of output from trend (see for example Schumpeter 1939, Hicks 1950, Lucas 1975, Sargent and Sims 1977). The long-term trend is growth of manufacturing at average 2.9 percent per year from Aug 1919 to Aug 2020. Growth at 2.9 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 155.5554 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841 which is 36.2 percent below trend. The underperformance of manufacturing in Mar-Aug 2020 originates partly in the earlier global recession augmented by the current global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19. Manufacturing grew at the average annual rate of 3.3 percent between Dec 1986 and Dec 2006. Growth at 3.3 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 163.3909 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841, which is 39.2 percent below trend. Manufacturing output grew at average 1.7 percent between Dec 1986 and Aug 2020. Using trend growth of 1.7 percent per year, the index would increase to 134.0774 in Aug 2020. The output of manufacturing at 99.2841 in Aug 2020 is 26.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation. Using the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), manufacturing output fell from the high of 110.5147 in Jun 2007 to the low of 86.3800 in Apr 2009 or 21.8 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased from 86.3800 in Apr 2009 to 100.4257 in Aug 2020 or 16.3 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased at the annual equivalent rate of 3.5 percent from Dec 1986 to Dec 2006. Growth at 3.5 percent would increase the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 164.9372 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 39.1 below trend. The NAICS manufacturing output index grew at 1.7 percent annual equivalent from Dec 1999 to Dec 2006. Growth at 1.7 percent would raise the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 132.0705 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 24.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation.

 


Chart I-1A, US, Real GDP 1929-2019

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-2 provides the growth of real quarterly GDP in the US between 1947 and 2020. The drop of output in the recession from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009 has been followed by anemic recovery compared with return to trend at 3.0 percent from 1870 to 2010 after events such as wars and recessions (Lucas 2011May) and a standstill that can lead to growth recession, or low rates of economic growth. The expansion is relatively long compared to earlier expansions and there could be another contraction or conventional recession in the future. The average rate of growth from 1947 to 2019 is 3.2 percent. The annual equivalent growth rate from IVQ2007 to IVQ2019 is only 1.7 percent with 2.9 percent from the end of the recession in IVQ2001 to the end of the expansion in IVQ2007. There is sharp contraction in IQ2020 and IIQ2020 in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.

 


Chart I-2, US, Real GDP, Quarterly, 1947-2020

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-3 provides real GDP percentage change on the quarter a year earlier for 1983-1993.  The objective is simply to compare expansion in two recoveries from sharp contractions as shown in Table I-5. Growth rates in the early phase of the recovery in 1983 and 1984 were very high, which is the opportunity to reduce unemployment that has characterized cyclical expansion in the postwar US economy. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).

 


Chart I-3, Real GDP Percentage Change on Quarter a Year Earlier 1983-1993

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

In contrast, growth rates in the comparable forty-four quarters of expansion from 2009 to 2020 in Chart I-4 have been mediocre. As a result, growth has not provided the exit from unemployment and underemployment as in other cyclical expansions in the postwar period. Growth rates did not rise in V shape as in earlier expansions and then declined close to the standstill of growth recessions. There is sharp decrease in the rate of growth in IQ2020 relative to IQ2019 at 0.3 percent and contraction of 9.0 percent in IIQ2020 relative to IIQ2019.


Chart I-4, US, Real GDP Percentage Change on Quarter a Year Earlier 2009-2020

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Table I-3 provides percentage change of real GDP in the United States in the 1930s, 1980s and 2000s. The recession in 1981-1982 is quite similar on its own to the 2007-2009 recession. In contrast, during the Great Depression in the four years of 1930 to 1933, GDP in constant dollars fell 26.3 percent cumulatively and fell 45.3 percent in current dollars (Pelaez and Pelaez, Financial Regulation after the Global Recession (2009a), 150-2, Pelaez and Pelaez, Globalization and the State, Vol. II (2009b), 205-7 and revisions in https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). Data are available for the 1930s only on a yearly basis. US GDP fell 4.8 percent in the two recessions (1) from IQ1980 to IIIQ1980 and (2) from III1981 to IVQ1982 and 4.0 percent cumulatively in the recession from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009. It is instructive to compare the first years of the expansions in the 1980s and the current expansion. GDP grew at 4.6 percent in 1983, 7.2 percent in 1984, 4.2 percent in 1985, 3.5 percent in 1986, 3.5 percent in 1987, 4.2 percent in 1988 and 3.7 percent in 1989. In contrast, GDP grew 2.6 percent in 2010, 1.6 percent in 2011, 2.2 percent in 2012, 1.8 percent in 2013, 2.5 percent in 2014 and 3.1 percent in 2015. GDP grew 1.7 percent in 2016 and 2.3 percent in 2017. GDP grew 3.0 percent in 2018 and 2.2 percent in 2019. Actual annual equivalent GDP growth in the thirty-four quarters from IQ2012 to IIQ2020 is 1.2 percent and minus 9.5 percent in the four quarters ending in IIQ2020. GDP grew at 4.2 percent in 1985, 3.5 percent in 1986, 3.5 percent in 1987, 4.2 percent in 1988 and 3.7 percent in 1989. The forecasts of the central tendency of participants of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) are in the range of minus 4.0 to minus 3.0 percent in 2020 (https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcprojtabl20200916.pdf) with less reliable forecast of 3.6 to 4.7 percent in 2021 (https://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/files/fomcprojtabl20200916.pdf). Growth of GDP in the expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020 has been at average 1.2 percent in annual equivalent with sharp contraction at 31.4 percent SAAR in IIQ2020 in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.

Table I-3, US, Percentage Change of GDP in the 1930s, 1980s and 2000s, ∆%

Year

GDP ∆%

Year

GDP ∆%

Year

GDP ∆%

1930

-8.5

1980

-0.3

2000

4.1

1931

-6.4

1981

2.5

2001

1.0

1932

-12.9

1982

-1.8

2002

1.7

1933

-1.2

1983

4.6

2003

2.9

1934

10.8

1984

7.2

2004

3.8

1935

8.9

1985

4.2

2005

3.5

1936

12.9

1986

3.5

2006

2.9

1937

5.1

1987

3.5

2007

1.9

1938

-3.3

1988

4.2

2008

-0.1

1939

8.0

1989

3.7

2009

-2.5

1940

8.8

1990

1.9

2010

2.6

1941

17.7

1991

-0.1

2011

1.6

1942

18.9

1992

3.5

2012

2.2

1943

17.0

1993

2.8

2013

1.8

1944

8.0

1994

4.0

2014

2.5

1945

-1.0

1995

2.7

2015

3.1

1946

-11.6

1996

3.8

2016

1.7

1947

-1.1

1997

4.4

2017

2.3

1948

4.1

1998

4.5

2018

3.0

1949

-0.6

1999

4.8

2019

2.2

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-5 provides percentage change of GDP in the US during the 1930s. There is vast literature analyzing the Great Depression (Pelaez and Pelaez, Regulation of Banks and Finance (2009), 198-217). Cole and Ohanian (1999) find that US real per capita output was lower by 11 percent in 1939 than in 1929 while the typical expansion of real per capita output in the US during a decade is 31 percent. Private hours worked in the US were 25 percent lower in 1939 relative to 1929.

 


Chart I-5, US, Percentage Change of GDP in the 1930s

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

In contrast, Chart I-6 shows rapid recovery from the recessions in the 1980s. High growth rates in the initial quarters of expansion eliminated the unemployment and underemployment created during the contraction. The economy then returned to grow at the trend of expansion, interrupted by another contraction in 1991. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).

 


Chart I-6, US, Percentage Change of GDP in the 1980s

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-7 provides the rates of growth during the 2000s. Growth rates in the initial thirty-three quarters of expansion have been relatively lower than during recessions after World War II. As a result, unemployment and underemployment continue at the rate of 20.2 percent of the effective US labor force (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/exchange-rate-fluctuations-1.html and earlier https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/thirty-eight-million-unemployed-or.html). There is sharp contraction at SAAR of 31.4 percent in IIQ2020 in the global recession, with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.


Chart I-7, US, Percentage Change of GDP in the 2000s

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Characteristics of the four cyclical contractions are in Table I-4 with the first column showing the number of quarters of contraction; the second column the cumulative percentage contraction; and the final column the average quarterly rate of contraction. There were two contractions from IQ1980 to IIIQ1980 and from IIIQ1981 to IVQ1982 separated by three quarters of expansion. The drop of output combining the declines in these two contractions is 4.8 percent, which is almost equal to the decline of 4.0 percent in the contraction from IVQ2007 to IIQ2009. In contrast, during the Great Depression in the four years of 1930 to 1933, GDP in constant dollars fell 26.3 percent cumulatively and fell 45.3 percent in current dollars (Pelaez and Pelaez, Financial Regulation after the Global Recession (2009a), 150-2, Pelaez and Pelaez, Globalization and the State, Vol. II (2009b), 205-7 and revisions in https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). The comparison of the global recession after 2007 with the Great Depression is entirely misleading.

Table I-4, US, Number of Quarters, GDP Cumulative Percentage Contraction and Average Percentage Annual Equivalent Rate in Cyclical Contractions   

 

Number of Quarters

Cumulative Percentage Contraction

Average Percentage Rate

IIQ1953 to IIQ1954

3

-2.4

-0.8

IIIQ1957 to IIQ1958

3

-3.0

-1.0

IVQ1973 to IQ1975

5

-3.1

-0.6

IQ1980 to IIIQ1980

2

-2.2

-1.1

IIIQ1981 to IVQ1982

4

-2.6

-0.65

IVQ2007 to IIQ2009

6

-4.0

-0.7

Sources: Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Table I-5 shows the mediocre average annual equivalent growth rate of 1.2 percent of the US economy in the forty-four quarters of the current cyclical expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020. There is sharp contraction in IIQ2020 at SAAR of minus 31.4 percent in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.  In sharp contrast, the average growth rate of GDP was:

 

  • 5.7 percent in the first thirteen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1986
  • 5.3 percent in the first fifteen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1986
  • 5.1 percent in the first sixteen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1986
  • 5.0 percent in the first seventeen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1987
  • 5.0 percent in the first eighteen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1987
  • 4.9 percent in the first nineteen quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1987
  • 5.0 percent in the first twenty quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1987
  • 4.9 percent in the first twenty-first quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1988
  • 4.9 percent in the first twenty-two quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1988
  • 4.8 percent in the first twenty-three quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1988
  • 4.8 percent in the first twenty-four quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1988
  • 4.8 percent in the first twenty-five quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1989
  • 4.7 percent in the first twenty-six quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1989
  • 4.6 percent in the first twenty-seven quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1989
  • 4.5 percent in the first twenty-eight quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1989
  • 4.5 percent in the first twenty-nine quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1990
  • 4.4 percent in the first thirty quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1990
  • 4.3 percent in the first thirty-one quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1990
  • 4.0 percent in the first thirty-two quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1990
  • 3.8 percent in the first thirty-three quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1991
  • 3.8 percent in the first thirty-four quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1991
  • 3.8 percent in the first thirty-five quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1991
  • 3.7 percent in the thirty-six quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1991
  • 3.7 percent in the thirty-seven quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1992
  • 3.7 percent in the thirty-eight quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIQ1992
  • 3.7 percent in the thirty-nine quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IIIQ1992
  • 3.8 percent in the forty quarters of expansion from IQ1983 to IVQ1992
  • 3.7 percent in the forty-one quarters from IQ1983 to IQ1993
  • 3.6 percent in the forty-two quarters from IQ1983 to IIQ1993
  • 3.6 percent in the forty-three quarters from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993
  • 3.7 percent in the forty-four quarters from IQ1983 to IVQ1993

 

The line “average first four quarters in four expansions” provides the average growth rate of 7.7 percent with 7.8 percent from IIIQ1954 to IIQ1955, 9.2 percent from IIIQ1958 to IIQ1959, 6.1 percent from IIIQ1975 to IIQ1976 and 7.9 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1983. The United States missed this opportunity of high growth in the initial phase of recovery.  BEA data show the US economy in standstill relative to historical experience with annual growth of 2.6 percent in 2010 decelerating to 1.6 percent annual growth in 2011, 2.2 percent in 2012, 1.8 percent in 2013, 2.5 percent in 2014, 3.1 percent in 2015, 1.7 percent in 2016, 2.3 percent in 2017, 3.0 percent in 2018 and 2.2 percent in 2019 (http://www.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).  The expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1986 was at the average annual growth rate of 5.7 percent, 5.1 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1986, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1988, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1988. 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1989, 4.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1989, 4.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1989. 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1989, 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1990, 4.4 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1990, 4.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1990. 4.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1990. 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1991. 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1992, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1993. 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1993. 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1993 and at 7.9 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1983. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). GDP grew 2.8 percent in the first four quarters of the expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010. GDP growth in the thirty-four quarters from IQ2012 to IIQ2020 accumulated to 8.1 percent. This growth is equivalent to 0.9 percent per year, obtained by dividing GDP in IIQ2020 of $17,302.5 billion by GDP in IVQ2011 of $16,004.1 billion and compounding by 4/34: {[($17,302.5/$16,004.1)4/34 -1]100 = 0.9 percent}.

Table I-5, US, Number of Quarters, Cumulative Growth and Average Annual Equivalent Growth Rate in Cyclical Expansions

 

Number
of
Quarters

Cumulative Growth

∆%

Average Annual Equivalent Growth Rate

IIIQ 1954 to IQ1957

11

12.8

4.5

First Four Quarters IIIQ1954 to IIQ1955

4

7.8

 

IIQ1958 to IIQ1959

5

10.0

7.9

First Four Quarters

IIIQ1958 to IIQ1959

4

9.2

 

IIQ1975 to IVQ1976

8

8.3

4.1

First Four Quarters IIIQ1975 to IIQ1976

4

6.1

 

IQ1983-IQ1986

IQ1983-IIIQ1986

IQ1983-IVQ1986

IQ1983-IQ1987

IQ1983-IIQ1987

IQ1983 to IIIQ1987

IQ1983 to IVQ1987

IQ1983 to IQ1988

IQ1983 to IIQ1988

IQ1983 to IIIQ1988

IQ1983 to IVQ1988

IQ1983 to IQ1989

IQ1983 to IIQ1989

IQ1983 to IIIQ1989

IQ1983 to IVQ1989

IQ1983 to IQ1990

IQ1983 to IIQ1990

IQ1983 to IIIQ1990

IQ1983 to IVQ1990

IQ1983 to IQ1991

IQ1983 to IIQ1991

IQ1983 to IIIQ1991

IQ1983 to IVQ1991

IQ1983 to IQ1992

IQ1983 to IIQ1992

IQ1983 to IIIQ1992

IQ1983 to IVQ1992

IQ1983 to IQ1993

IQ1983 to IIQ1993

IQ1983 to IIIQ1993

IQ1983 to IVQ1993

13

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

19.8

21.5

22.1

23.0

24.4

25.4

27.6

28.3

29.9

30.7

32.5

33.8

34.8

35.8

36.1

37.6

38.1

38.2

36.9

36.3

37.3

38.0

38.5

40.2

41.7

43.1

44.6

44.8

45.7

46.4

48.3

5.7

5.3

5.1

5.0

5.0

4.9

5.0

4.9

4.9

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.7

4.6

4.5

4.5

4.4

4.3

4.0

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.8

3.7

3.6

3.6

3.7

First Four Quarters IQ1983 to IVQ1983

4

7.9

 

Average First Four Quarters in Four Expansions*

 

7.7

 

IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020

44

14.3

1.2

First Four Quarters IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010

 

2.8

 

*First Four Quarters: 7.8% IIIQ1954-IIQ1955; 9.2% IIIQ1958-IIQ1959; 6.1% IIIQ1975-IQ1976; 7.8% IQ1983-IVQ1983

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-8 shows US real quarterly GDP growth from 1980 to 1993. The economy contracted during the recession and then expanded vigorously throughout the 1980s, rapidly eliminating the unemployment caused by the contraction. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).

 


Chart I-8, US, Real GDP, 1980-1993

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-9 shows the entirely different situation of real quarterly GDP in the US between 2007 and 2020. The economy has underperformed during the first forty-four quarters of expansion for the first time in the comparable contractions since the 1950s. The US economy was in a perilous cyclical slow growth now in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event, shown by contraction sharp contractions in the final data points in IQ2020 and IIQ2020.

 


Chart I-9, US, Real GDP, 2007-2020

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

As shown in Tables I-4 and I-5 above the loss of real GDP in the US during the contraction was 4.0 percent but the gain in the cyclical expansion has been only 14.3 percent (first to the last row in Table I-5), using all latest revisions. As a result, the level of real GDP in IIQ2020 with the second estimate and revisions is higher by only 9.8 percent than the level of real GDP in IVQ2007. The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. Growth at trend in the entire cycle from IVQ2007 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event would have accumulated to 44.7 percent. GDP in IIQ2020 would be $22,807.6 billion (in constant dollars of 2012) if the US had grown at trend, which is higher by $5505.1 billion than actual $17,302.5 billion. There are more than five trillion dollars of GDP less than at trend, explaining the 34.8 million unemployed or underemployed equivalent to actual unemployment/underemployment of 20.2 percent of the effective labor force with the largest part originating in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/exchange-rate-fluctuations-1.html and earlier https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/thirty-eight-million-unemployed-or.html). Unemployment is decreasing while employment is increasing in initial adjustment of the lockdown of economic activity in the global recession resulting from the COVID-19 event (https://www.bls.gov/cps/employment-situation-covid19-faq-june-2020.pdf). US GDP in IIQ2020 is 24.1 percent lower than at trend. US GDP grew from $15,762.0 billion in IVQ2007 in constant dollars to $17,302.5 billion in IIQ2020 or 9.8 percent at the average annual equivalent rate of 0.7 percent. Professor John H. Cochrane (2014Jul2) estimates US GDP at more than 10 percent below trend. Cochrane (2016May02) measures GDP growth in the US at average 3.5 percent per year from 1950 to 2000 and only at 1.76 percent per year from 2000 to 2015 with only at 2.0 percent annual equivalent in the current expansion. Cochrane (2016May02) proposes drastic changes in regulation and legal obstacles to private economic activity. The US missed the opportunity to grow at higher rates during the expansion and it is difficult to catch up because growth rates in the final periods of expansions tend to decline. The US missed the opportunity for recovery of output and employment always afforded in the first four quarters of expansion from recessions. Zero interest rates and quantitative easing were not required or present in successful cyclical expansions and in secular economic growth at 3.0 percent per year and 2.0 percent per capita as measured by Lucas (2011May). There is cyclical uncommonly slow growth in the US instead of allegations of secular stagnation. There is similar behavior in manufacturing. There is classic research on analyzing deviations of output from trend (see for example Schumpeter 1939, Hicks 1950, Lucas 1975, Sargent and Sims 1977). The long-term trend is growth of manufacturing at average 2.9 percent per year from Aug 1919 to Aug 2020. Growth at 2.9 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 155.5554 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841 which is 36.2 percent below trend. The underperformance of manufacturing in Mar-Aug 2020 originates partly in the earlier global recession augmented by the current global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19. Manufacturing grew at the average annual rate of 3.3 percent between Dec 1986 and Dec 2006. Growth at 3.3 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 163.3909 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841, which is 39.2 percent below trend. Manufacturing output grew at average 1.7 percent between Dec 1986 and Aug 2020. Using trend growth of 1.7 percent per year, the index would increase to 134.0774 in Aug 2020. The output of manufacturing at 99.2841 in Aug 2020 is 26.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation. Using the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), manufacturing output fell from the high of 110.5147 in Jun 2007 to the low of 86.3800 in Apr 2009 or 21.8 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased from 86.3800 in Apr 2009 to 100.4257 in Aug 2020 or 16.3 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased at the annual equivalent rate of 3.5 percent from Dec 1986 to Dec 2006. Growth at 3.5 percent would increase the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 164.9372 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 39.1 below trend. The NAICS manufacturing output index grew at 1.7 percent annual equivalent from Dec 1999 to Dec 2006. Growth at 1.7 percent would raise the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 132.0705 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 24.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation.

Table I-6 shows that the contraction concentrated in two quarters: decline of 2.2 percent in IVQ2008 relative to the prior quarter and decline of 1.1 percent in IQ2009 relative to IVQ2008. The combined fall of GDP in IVQ2008 and IQ2009 was 3.3 percent {[(1-0.022) x (1-0.011) -1]100 = -3.3%}, or {[(IQ2009 $15,155.9)/(IIIQ2008 $15,677.0) – 1]100 = -3.3%} except for rounding. Those two quarters coincided with the worst effects of the financial crisis (Cochrane and Zingales 2009). GDP fell 0.1 percent in IIQ2009 but grew 0.4 percent in IIIQ2009, which is the beginning of recovery in the cyclical dates of the NBER. Most of the recovery occurred in five successive quarters from IVQ2009 to IVQ2010 of growth of 1.1 percent in IVQ2009, 0.4 percent in IQ2010, 0.9 percent in IIQ2010 and nearly equal growth at 0.7 percent in IIIQ2010 and 0.5 percent in IVQ2010 for cumulative growth in those five quarters of 3.8 percent, obtained by accumulating the quarterly rates {[(1.011 x 1.004 x 1.009 x 1.007 x 1.005) – 1]100 = 3.7%} or {[(IVQ2010 $15,750.6)/(IIIQ2009 $15,189.2) – 1]100 = 3.7%} with minor rounding difference. The economy then stalled during the first half of 2011 with decline of 0.2 percent in IQ2011 and growth of 0.7 percent in IIQ2011 for combined annual equivalent rate of 1.0 percent {(0.998 x 1.007)2}. The economy grew 0.0 percent in IIIQ2011 for annual equivalent growth of 0.0 percent in the first three quarters {[(0.998 x 1.007 x 1.00)4/3 -1]100 = 0.7%}. Growth picked up in IVQ2011 with 1.2 percent relative to IIIQ2011. Growth in a quarter relative to a year earlier in Table I-6 slows from over 2.6 percent during three consecutive quarters from IIQ2010 to IVQ2010 to 1.9 percent in IQ2011, 1.7 percent in IIQ2011, 0.9 percent in IIIQ2011 and 1.6 percent in IVQ2011. As shown below, growth of 1.2 percent in IVQ2011 was partly driven by inventory accumulation. In IQ2012, GDP grew 0.8 percent relative to IVQ2011 and 2.7 percent relative to IQ2011, decelerating to 0.4 percent in IIQ2012 and 2.4 percent relative to IIQ2011 and 0.1 percent in IIIQ2012 and 2.5 percent relative to IIIQ2011. Growth was 0.1 percent in IVQ2012 with 1.5 percent relative to a year earlier but mostly because of deduction of 1.70 percentage points of inventory divestment and 0.63 percentage points of reduction of one-time national defense expenditures. Growth was 0.9 percent in IQ2013 and 1.6 percent relative to IQ2012 in large part because of burning savings to consume caused by financial repression of zero interest rates. There is similar growth of 0.1 percent in IIQ2013 and 1.3 percent relative to a year earlier. In IIIQ2013, GDP grew 0.8 percent relative to the prior quarter and 1.9 percent relative to the same quarter a year earlier with inventory accumulation contributing 1.48 percentage points to growth at 3.2 percent SAAR in IIIQ2013. GDP increased 0.8 percent in IVQ2013 and 2.6 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP fell 0.3 percent in IQ2014 and grew 1.4 percent relative to a year earlier. Inventory divestment deducted 1.40 percentage points from GDP growth in IQ2014. GDP grew 1.4 percent in IIQ2014, 2.7 percent relative to a year earlier and at 5.5 SAAR with inventory change contributing 1.05 percentage points. GDP grew 1.2 percent in IIIQ2014 and 3.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IVQ2014 and 2.9 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP increased 0.9 percent in IQ2015 and increased 4.1 percent relative to a year earlier partly because of low level during contraction of 0.3 percent in IQ2014. GDP grew 0.7 percent in IIQ2015 and 3.4 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.4 percent in IIIQ2015 and 2.6 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP increased 0.2 percent in IVQ2015 and increased 2.2 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IQ2016 and increased 1.8 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.3 percent in IIQ2016 and increased 1.4 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.5 percent in IIIQ2016 and increased 1.6 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IVQ2016 and increased 2.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IQ2017 and increased 2.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.4 percent in IIQ2017 and 2.2

 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP increased 0.7 percent in IIIQ2017 and increased 2.4 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 1.0 percent in IVQ2017 and 2.7 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP increased 0.9 percent in IQ2018 and increased 3.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.7 percent in IIQ2018 and increased 3.3 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP increased 0.5 percent in IIIQ2018 and increased 3.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.3 percent in IVQ2018 and increased 2.5 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.7 percent in IQ2019 and increased 2.3 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.4 percent in IIQ2019 and increased 2.0 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IIIQ2019 and increased 2.1 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP grew 0.6 percent in IVQ2019 and increased 2.3 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP decreased 1.3 percent in IQ2020 and increased 0.3 percent relative to a year earlier. GDP decreased 9.0 percent in IIQ2020 and decreased 9.0 percent relative to a year earlier (See Table 6 at https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf and entire data in https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm), in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Rates of a quarter relative to the prior quarter capture better deceleration of the economy than rates on a quarter relative to the same quarter a year earlier. The critical question for which there is not yet definitive solution is whether what lies ahead is continuing growth recession with the economy crawling and unemployment/underemployment at extremely high levels or another contraction or conventional recession. Forecasts of various sources continued to maintain high growth in 2011 without taking into consideration the continuous slowing of the economy in late 2010 and the first half of 2011. The sovereign debt crisis in the euro area and growth in China have been common sources of doubts on the rate and direction of economic growth in the US. There is weak internal demand in the US with almost recent higher growth of investment and spikes of consumption driven by burning saving because of financial repression in the form of low interest rates and bloated balance sheet of the Fed.

Table I-6, US, Real GDP and Percentage Change Relative to IVQ2007 and Prior Quarter, Billions Chained 2012 Dollars and ∆%

 

Real GDP, Billions Chained 2012 Dollars

∆% Relative to IVQ2007

∆% Relative to Prior Quarter

∆%
over
Year Earlier

IVQ2007

15,762.0

NA

0.6

2.0

IQ2008

15,671.4

-0.6

-0.6

1.1

IIQ2008

15,752.3

-0.1

0.5

1.1

IIIQ2008

15,667.0

-0.6

-0.5

0.0

IVQ2008

15,328.0

-2.8

-2.2

-2.8

IQ2009

15,155.9

-3.8

-1.1

-3.3

IIQ2009

15,134.1

-4.0

-0.1

-3.9

IIIQ2009

15,189.2

-3.6

0.4

-3.0

IV2009

15,356.1

-2.6

1.1

0.2

IQ2010

15,415.1

-2.2

0.4

1.7

IIQ2010

15,557.3

-1.3

0.9

2.8

IIIQ2010

15,672.0

-0.6

0.7

3.2

IVQ2010

15,750.6

-0.1

0.5

2.6

IQ2011

15,712.8

-0.3

-0.2

1.9

IIQ2011

15,825.1

0.4

0.7

1.7

IIIQ2011

15,820.7

0.4

0.0

0.9

IVQ2011

16,004.1

1.5

1.2

1.6

IQ2012

16,129.5

2.3

0.8

2.7

IIQ2012

16,198.8

2.8

0.4

2.4

IIIQ2012

16,220.7

2.9

0.1

2.5

IVQ2012

16,239.1

3.0

0.1

1.5

IQ2013

16,383.0

3.9

0.9

1.6

IIQ2013

16,403.2

4.1

0.1

1.3

IIIQ2013

16,531.7

4.9

0.8

1.9

IVQ2013

16,663.6

5.7

0.8

2.6

IQ2014

16,616.5

5.4

-0.3

1.4

IIQ2014

16,841.5

6.8

1.4

2.7

IIIQ2014

17,047.1

8.2

1.2

3.1

IVQ2014

17,143.0

8.8

0.6

2.9

IQ2015

17,305.8

9.8

0.9

4.1

IIQ2015

17,422.8

10.5

0.7

3.4

IIIQ2015

17,486.0

10.9

0.4

2.6

IVQ2015

17,514.1

11.1

0.2

2.2

IQ2016

17,613.3

11.7

0.6

1.8

IIQ2016

17,668.2

12.1

0.3

1.4

IIIQ2016

17,764.4

12.7

0.5

1.6

IVQ2016

17,876.2

13.4

0.6

2.1

IQ2017

17,977.3

14.1

0.6

2.1

IIQ2017

18,054.1

14.5

0.4

2.2

IIIQ2017

18,185.6

15.4

0.7

2.4

IVQ2017

18,359.4

16.5

1.0

2.7

IQ2018

18,530.5

17.6

0.9

3.1

IIQ2018

18,654.4

18.4

0.7

3.3

IIIQ2018

18,752.4

19.0

0.5

3.1

IVQ2018

18,813.9

19.4

0.3

2.5

IQ2019

18,950.3

20.2

0.7

2.3

IIQ2019

19,020.6

20.7

0.4

2.0

IIIQ2019

19,141.7

21.4

0.6

2.1

IVQ2019

19,254.0

22.2

0.6

2.3

IQ2020

19,010.8

20.6

-1.3

0.3

IIQ2020

17,302.5

9.8

-9.0

-9.0

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-10 provides the percentage change of real GDP from the same quarter a year earlier from 1980 to 1993. There were two contractions almost in succession in 1980 and from 1981 to 1983. The expansion was marked by initial high rates of growth as in other recession in the postwar US period during which employment lost in the contraction was recovered. Growth rates continued to be high after the initial phase of expansion. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).

 


Chart I-10, Percentage Change of Real Gross Domestic Product from Quarter a Year Earlier 1980-1993

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

The experience of recovery after 2009 is not as complete as during the 1980s. Chart I-11 shows the much lower rates of growth in the early phase of the current expansion and sharp decline from an early peak. The US missed the initial high growth rates in cyclical expansions that eliminate unemployment and underemployment. There is sharp decrease of the rate of growth of GDP to 0.3 percent in IQ2020 and minus 9.0 percent in IIQ2020 relative to a year earlier (See Table 6 at https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf and entire data in https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.


Chart I-11, Percentage Change of Real Gross Domestic Product from Quarter a Year Earlier 2007-2020

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-12 provides growth rates from a quarter relative to the prior quarter during the 1980s. There is the same strong initial growth followed by a long period of sustained growth. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm).

 


Chart I-12, Percentage Change of Real Gross Domestic Product from Prior Quarter 1980-1993

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Chart I-13 provides growth rates in a quarter relative to the prior quarter from 2007 to 2020. Growth in the current expansion after IIIQ2009 has not been as strong as in other postwar cyclical expansions. There is sharp contraction at SAAR of minus 5.0 percent in IQ2020 and minus 31.4 percent IIQ2020 in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.

 


Chart I-13, Percentage Change of Real Gross Domestic Product from Prior Quarter 2007-2020

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

The revised estimates and earlier estimates from IQ2008 to IQ2016 in seasonally adjusted annual equivalent rates are shown in Table I-7. The strongest revision is for IVQ2008 for which the contraction of GDP is revised from minus 6.8 percent to minus 8.9 percent and minus 8.2 percent. IQ2009 is also revised from contraction of minus 4.9 percent to minus 6.7 percent but then lowered to contraction of 5.3 percent and 5.4 percent. There is only minor revision in IIIQ2008 of the contraction of minus 4.0 percent to minus 3.7 percent and much lower to minus 1.9 percent. Growth of 5.0 percent in IV2009 is revised to 3.8 percent and then increased to 4.0 percent but lowered to 3.9 percent.  Growth in IQ2010 is lowered from 3.9 percent to 2.3 percent and 1.7 percent. Growth in IIQ2010 is upwardly revised to 3.8 percent but then lowered to 2.2 percent. The final revision increased growth in IIQ2010 to 3.9 percent. Revisions lowered growth of 1.9 percent in IQ2011 to minus 1.5 percent. The revisions increased growth of 1.8 percent in IQ2013 to 2.7 percent and increased growth of 2.0 percent in IQ2012 to 2.3 percent. The revision reduced the decline of GDP from 2.9 percent in IQ2014 to 2.1 percent. The revision of Jul 20, 2015 reduced significantly the rate of growth in 2013. The revision of Jul 27, 2016 increased the growth rate in 2013 and 2014. The revisions do not alter the conclusion that the current expansion is much weaker than historical sharp contractions since the 1950s and is now changing into slow growth recession with higher risks of contraction and continuing underperformance.

Table I-7, US, Quarterly Growth Rates of GDP, % Annual Equivalent SA, Revised and Earlier Estimates

Quarters

Rev Jul 29, 2016

Rev Jul 30, 2015

Rev Jul 30, 2014

Rev

Jul 31, 2013

Rev

Jul 27, 2012

Rev

Jul 29, 2011

Earlier Estimate

2008

I

-2.7

-2.7

-1.8

-0.7

II

2.0

2.0

1.3

0.6

III

-1.9

-2.0

-3.7

-4.0

IV

-8.2

-8.3

-8.9

-6.8

2009

I

-5.4

-5.4

-5.3

-6.7

-4.9

II

-0.5

-0.4

-0.3

-0.7

-0.7

III

1.3

1.3

1.4

1.7

1.6

IV

3.9

3.9

4.0

3.8

5.0

2010

I

1.7

1.6

2.3

3.9

3.7

II

3.9

3.9

2.2

3.8

1.7

III

2.7

2.8

2.6

2.5

2.6

IV

2.5

2.8

2.4

2.3

3.1

2011

I

-1.5

-1.3

0.1

0.4

1.9

II

2.9

3.2

2.5

III

0.8

1.4

1.3

IV

4.6

4.9

4.1

2012

I

2.7

2.3

3.7

2.0

II

1.9

1.6

1.2

1.3

III

0.5

2.5

2.8

3.1

IV

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.4

2013

I

2.8

1.9

2.7

1.1

1.8

II

0.8

1.1

1.8

2.5

III

3.1

3.0

4.5

4.1

IV

4.0

3.8

3.5

2.6

2014

I

-1.2

-0.9

-2.1

-2.9

II

4.0

4.6

III

5.0

4.3

IV

2.3

2.1

2015

I

2.0

0.6

II

2.6

 

 

 

 

 

 

III

2.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV

0.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

0.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: Rev: Revision

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Aggregate demand, personal consumption expenditures (PCE) and gross private domestic investment (GDI) were much stronger during the expansion phase from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993 than from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020, as shown in Table I-8. GDI provided the impulse of growth in 1983 and 1984, which has not been the case from 2009 to 2020. The investment decision in the US economy has been frustrated in the current cyclical expansion. Growth of GDP in IIIQ2013 at seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.2 percent consisted of positive contribution of 1.10 percentage points of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) plus positive contribution of 2.60 percentage points of gross private domestic investment (GDI) of which 1.48 percentage points of inventory investment (∆PI), deduction of net exports (trade or exports less imports) of 0.14 percentage points and deduction of 0.40 percentage points of government consumption expenditures and gross investment (GOV) partly because of one-time deduction of national defense expenditures of 0.38 percentage points. Growth at 3.2 percent in IVQ2013 had strongest contributions of 2.31 percentage points of PCE and 1.23 percentage points of trade. Growth of GDP at minus 1.1 percent in IQ2014 is mostly contribution of 1.03 percentage points by PCE with deduction of 0.74 percentage points by GDI, inventory divestment of 1.40 percentage points and trade deducting 1.11 percentage points. Growth at 5.5 percent in IIQ2014 consists of contributions of 2.97 percentage points by PCE and 2.92 percentage points by GDI with 1.05 percentage points by inventory change. Trade deducted 0.46 percentage points and government added 0.10 percentage points. Growth at 5.0 percent in IIIQ2014 consists of contribution of 2.92 percentage points by PCE, 1.47 percentage points by GDI, 0.10 percentage points by trade and 0.49 percentage points by government of which 0.22 percentage points by national defense expenditures. Growth at 2.3 percent in IVQ2014 consists of contribution of 3.26 percentage points by PCE, contribution of 0.09 percentage points by GDI and deduction of 0.69 percentage points by inventory investment. Net trade deducted 1.05 percentage points while government deducted 0.04 percentage mostly because of deduction of 0.47 percentage points by national defense expenditure declining at 10.6 percent in IVQ2014. Growth of GDP at 3.8 percent in IQ2015 consisted mostly of contributions of 2.41 percentage points by personal consumption expenditures, 2.46 percentage points by gross domestic investment and 2.28 percentage points by inventory accumulation while trade deducted 1.38 percentage points and government contributed 0.37 percentage points. Growth at 2.7 percent in IIQ2015 consisted mostly of contributions of 2.15 percentage points by personal consumption expenditures, 0.23 percentage points by gross domestic investment, deduction of 0.25 percentage points by net trade and contribution of 0.60 percentage points by government consumption and expenditures. Growth at 1.5 percent in IIIQ2015 consisted mostly of contribution of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) of 2.24 percentage points with government adding 0.32 percentage points. Gross domestic investment (GDI) deducted 0.13 percentage points with deduction of inventory divestment of 0.69 percentage points while net trade deducted 0.97 percentage points. Growth at 0.6 percent in IVQ2015 consisted mostly of contribution of 1.44 percentage points by personal consumption expenditures (PCE). GDI deducted 0.83 percentage points while trade deducted 0.22 percentage points and inventory divestment deducted 0.64 percentage points.  Growth at 2.3 percent in IQ2016 consisted mostly of contribution of 2.08 percentage points by personal consumption expenditures (PCE). There were deductions of 0.39 percentage points by gross domestic investment (GDI) and 0.73 percentage points by inventory change. Net trade subtracted 0.05 percentage points and government added 0.66 percentage points. Growth at 1.3 percent in IIQ2016 consisted mostly of contribution of 1.73 percentage points by PCE with GDI deducting 0.58 percentage points. Inventory divestment deducted 0.83 percentage points. Growth at 2.2 percent in IIIQ2016 consisted mostly of contribution of 1.75 percentage points by PCE with GDI contributing 0.03 percentage points. Inventory investment deducted 0.50 percentage points and trade added 0.08 percentage points. Growth at 2.5 percent in IVQ2016 had positive contributions of 1.68 percentage points of PCE, 1.80 of GDI and 0.19 of GOV. Inventory investment added 1.35 percentage points and net trade deducted 1.13 percentage points. Growth at 2.3 percent in IQ2017 originated in contribution of 2.15 percentage points by PCE and deduction of 0.23 percentage points by GDI with contribution of 0.36 percentage points by net trade. GOV added 0.01 percentage points and inventory divestment subtracted 1.41 percentage points. Growth of GDP at 1.7 percent in IIQ217 originated in contributions of 1.23 percentage points by PCE, 0.61 percentage points by GDI, deduction of 0.39 percentage points by net trade and contribution of 0.34 percentage points by inventory investment. Government added 0.27 percentage points. Growth at 2.9 percent in IIIQ2017 consisted of positive contributions of 1.57 percentage points by PCE, 1.26 percentage points by GDI, 1.05 percentage points by inventory investment and 0.08 percentage points by net trade. GOV contributed 0.04 percentage points. Growth at 3.9 percent in IVQ2017 originated in positive contributions of 2.82 percentage points by PCE, 1.07 percentage points by GDI and 0.49 percentage points by GOV. Inventory divestment deducted 0.50 percentage points and net trade deducted 0.49 percentage points. Growth at 3.8 percent in IQ2018 originated in positive contributions of 1.40 percentage points by PCE, 1.83 percentage points by GDI and 0.26 percentage points by GOV. Inventory investment added 0.41 percentage points and net trade added 0.29 percentage points. Growth at 2.7 percent in IIQ2018 originated in positive contributions of 2.13 percentage points by PCE and 0.50 percentage points by GOV. Inventory divestment subtracted 0.94 percentage points and GDI deducted 0.19 percentage points. Net trade contributed 0.25 percentage points.  Growth at 2.1 percent in IIIQ2018 consisted of positive contributions of 1.79 percentage points of PCE, 1.58 percentage points of inventory change and 0.44 percentage points of GOV. GDI contributed 1.72 percentage points and net trade deducted 1.83 percentage points. Growth at 1.3 percent in IVQ2018 consisted of positive contributions of 1.05 percentage points of PCE, 0.23 percentage points of inventory change and deduction of 0.16 percentage points of GOV. GDI contributed 0.69 percentage points and net trade deducted 0.27 percentage points. Growth at 2.9 percent in IQ2019 consisted of positive contributions of 1.25 percentage points of PCE, 0.21 percentage points of inventory change and contribution of 0.43 percentage points of GOV. GDI contributed 0.71 percentage points and net trade contributed 0.55 percentage points. Growth at 1.5 percent in IIQ2019 consisted of contribution of 2.47 percentage points by PCE and 0.86 percentage points by government. GDI deducted 1.04 percentage points, inventory divestment deducted 0.97 percentage points and net trade deducted 0.79 percentage points. Growth at 2.6 percent in IIIQ2019 consisted of contribution of 1.83 percentage points by PCE and 0.37 percentage points by government. GDI contributed 0.34 percentage points, inventory divestment deducted 0.09 percentage points and net trade contributed 0.04 percentage points. Growth at 2.4 percent in IVQ2019 consisted of contribution of 1.07 percentage points by PCE and 0.42 percentage points by government. GDI deducted 0.64 percentage points and inventory divestment deducted 0.82 percentage points. Net trade contributed 1.52 percentage points. Contraction at minus 5.0 percent in IQ2020, in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event, consisted of deduction of 4.75 percentage points by PCE. GDI deducted 1.56 percentage points and inventory divestment deducted 1.34 percentage points. Net trade contributed 1.13 percentage points and government 0.22 percentage points. Contraction at minus 31.4 percent in IIQ2020, in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event, consisted of deduction of 24.01 percentage points by PCE. GDI deducted 8.77 percentage points and inventory divestment deducted 3.50 percentage points. Net trade contributed 0.62 percentage points and government 0.77 percentage points. The economy of the United States has lost the dynamic growth impulse of earlier cyclical expansions with mediocre growth resulting from consumption forced by one-time effects of financial repression, national defense expenditures and inventory accumulation.

Table I-8, US, Contributions to the Rate of Growth of GDP in Percentage Points

 

GDP

PCE

GDI

∆ PI

Trade

GOV

2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-5.0

-4.75

-1.56

-1.34

1.13

0.22

II

-31.4

-24.01

-8.77

-3.50

0.62

0.77

2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

2.9

1.25

0.71

0.21

0.55

0.43

II

1.5

2.47

-1.04

-0.97

-0.79

0.86

III

2.6

1.83

0.34

-0.09

0.04

0.37

IV

2.4

1.07

-0.64

-0.82

1.52

0.42

2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.8

1.40

1.83

0.41

0.29

0.26

II

2.7

2.13

-0.19

-0.94

0.25

0.50

III

2.1

1.79

1.72

1.58

-1.83

0.44

IV

1.3

1.05

0.69

0.23

-0.27

-0.16

2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

2.3

2.15

-0.23

-1.41

0.36

0.01

II

1.7

1.23

0.61

0.34

-0.39

0.27

III

2.9

1.57

1.26

1.05

0.08

0.04

IV

3.9

2.82

1.07

-0.50

-0.49

0.49

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

2.3

2.08

-0.39

-0.73

-0.05

0.66

II

1.3

1.73

-0.58

-0.83

0.22

-0.11

III

2.2

1.75

0.03

-0.50

0.08

0.33

IV

2.5

1.68

1.80

1.35

-1.13

0.19

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.8

2.41

2.46

2.28

-1.38

0.37

II

2.7

2.15

0.23

-0.35

-0.25

0.60

III

1.5

2.24

-0.13

-0.69

-0.97

0.32

IV

0.6

1.44

-0.83

-0.64

-0.22

0.26

2014

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-1.1

1.03

-0.74

-1.40

-1.11

-0.31

II

5.5

2.97

2.92

1.05

-0.46

0.10

III

5.0

2.92

1.47

0.17

0.10

0.49

IV

2.3

3.26

0.09

-0.69

-1.05

-0.04

2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.6

1.44

2.43

1.33

0.40

-0.68

II

0.5

0.20

0.75

0.23

-0.33

-0.13

III

3.2

1.10

2.60

1.48

-0.14

-0.40

IV

3.2

2.31

0.27

-0.62

1.23

-0.58

2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.2

2.19

1.32

-0.59

0.00

-0.34

II

1.7

0.41

1.47

0.21

0.27

-0.41

III

0.5

0.45

0.29

0.20

-0.08

-0.12

IV

0.5

1.22

-0.58

-1.70

0.57

-0.76

2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-1.0

1.17

-1.10

-1.02

-0.02

-1.01

II

2.9

0.62

2.36

1.03

0.45

-0.55

III

-0.1

1.07

0.19

-2.23

-0.21

-1.16

IV

4.7

0.52

4.60

3.06

-0.36

-0.04

2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

1.5

1.32

1.28

1.30

-0.72

-0.33

II

3.7

2.16

2.95

0.92

-1.67

0.30

III

3.0

1.90

2.60

2.28

-0.94

-0.57

IV

2.0

1.80

-0.17

-1.25

0.91

-0.52

2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-4.4

-0.52

-7.21

-2.14

2.40

0.92

II

-0.6

-1.03

-3.15

-1.04

2.39

1.22

III

1.5

1.92

-0.08

-0.33

-0.61

0.23

IV

4.5

-0.39

4.76

4.44

-0.07

0.17

1982

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-6.1

1.80

-7.33

-5.33

-0.49

-0.05

II

1.8

0.75

-0.05

2.27

0.81

0.34

III

-1.5

1.64

-0.62

1.11

-3.22

0.68

IV

0.2

4.34

-5.38

-5.34

-0.10

1.30

1983

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

5.4

2.52

2.34

0.91

-0.30

0.81

II

9.4

5.21

5.95

3.42

-2.47

0.73

III

8.2

4.60

4.40

0.57

-2.26

1.49

IV

8.6

4.10

6.95

3.01

-1.14

-1.30

1984

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

8.1

2.21

7.23

4.94

-2.31

0.92

II

7.1

3.57

2.57

-0.29

-0.87

1.82

III

3.9

1.88

1.70

0.21

-0.36

0.69

IV

3.3

3.22

-1.07

-2.43

-0.56

1.74

1985

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.9

4.22

-2.14

-2.86

0.94

0.92

II

3.6

2.29

1.34

0.35

-1.91

1.85

III

6.2

4.76

-0.43

-0.15

-0.01

1.93

IV

3.0

0.52

2.81

1.40

-0.67

0.35

1986

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.8

2.16

0.04

-0.17

0.93

0.66

II

1.8

2.70

-1.30

-1.30

-1.33

1.75

III

3.9

4.43

-1.97

-1.63

-0.45

1.87

IV

2.2

1.55

0.25

-0.29

0.71

-0.33

1987

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

3.0

0.26

1.99

3.29

0.23

0.54

II

4.4

3.47

0.08

-1.00

0.14

0.70

III

3.5

2.91

0.03

-1.20

0.45

0.13

IV

7.0

0.57

4.96

4.97

0.18

1.33

1988

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

2.1

4.45

-3.64

-3.69

1.94

-0.67

II

5.4

1.90

1.73

0.33

1.44

0.29

III

2.4

2.25

0.38

0.05

-0.31

0.03

IV

5.4

2.91

1.12

0.28

-0.21

1.62

1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

4.1

1.19

2.43

1.80

0.86

-0.34

II

3.1

1.19

-0.71

-0.80

1.35

1.26

III

3.0

2.46

-0.64

-1.84

0.44

0.75

IV

0.8

1.11

-0.54

0.37

-0.20

0.42

1990

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

4.4

2.17

0.70

-0.10

0.25

1.33

II

1.5

0.77

0.03

1.38

0.52

0.13

III

0.3

1.00

-1.29

-0.74

0.44

0.13

IV

-3.6

-1.96

-3.66

-1.97

1.47

0.55

1991

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

-1.9

-1.00

-2.04

-0.26

0.69

0.49

II

3.2

2.11

0.05

-0.12

0.65

0.35

III

2.0

1.27

1.21

1.16

-0.21

-0.23

IV

1.4

-0.12

2.15

1.91

-0.02

-0.61

1992

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

4.9

4.83

-1.16

-1.81

0.44

0.77

II

4.4

1.78

3.40

1.44

-0.63

-0.14

III

4.0

2.77

0.50

-0.19

0.19

0.55

IV

4.2

3.08

1.92

0.14

-0.77

0.01

1993

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

0.7

0.98

1.49

1.04

-0.79

-1.01

II

2.3

2.35

0.39

-0.72

-0.40

0.01

III

1.9

2.88

-0.42

-1.38

-0.66

0.11

IV

5.6

2.31

3.40

0.87

0.45

0.29

Note: PCE: personal consumption expenditures; GDI: gross private domestic investment; ∆ PI: change in private inventories; Trade: net exports of goods and services; GOV: government consumption expenditures and gross investment; – is negative and no sign positive

GDP: percent change at annual rate; percentage points at annual rates

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

 The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (pages 1-2) explains growth of GDP in IIQ2020 as follows (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf):

“Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 31.4 percent in the second quarter of 2020 (table 1), according to the "third" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 5.0 percent.

The “third” estimate of GDP released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the "second" estimate issued last month. In the second estimate, the decrease in real GDP was 31.7 percent. The upward revision with the third estimate primarily reflected an upward revision to personal consumption expenditures (PCE) that was partly offset by downward revisions to exports and to nonresidential fixed investment (see "Updates to GDP" on page 3).

The decrease in real GDP reflected decreases in PCE, exports, nonresidential fixed investment, private inventory investment, residential fixed investment, and state and local government spending that were partly offset by an increase in federal government spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased (table 2).

The decrease in PCE reflected decreases in services (led by health care) and goods (led by clothing and footwear). The decrease in exports primarily reflected a decrease in goods (led by capital goods). The decrease in nonresidential fixed investment primarily reflected a decrease in equipment (led by transportation equipment). The decrease in private inventory investment primarily reflected a decrease in retail (led by motor vehicle dealers). The decrease in residential investment primarily reflected decreases in new single-family housing.”

 

There are positive contributions to growth in IIQ2020 shown in Table I-9:

 

·       Growth of national defense expenditures at 3.8 percent

·       Growth of government expenditures (GOV) at 2.5 percent

·       Growth of federal government expenditures (Federal GOV) at 16.4 percent

·       Contraction of imports, which are a deduction from growth, at 54.1 percent

 

There were negative contributions in IIQ2020:

 

·       Personal consumptions expenditures (PCE) contracting at 33.2 percent

·       Durable goods contracting at 1.7 percent

·       Nonresidential fixed investment contracting at 27.2 percent

·       Residential fixed investment contracting at 35.6 percent

·       Exports contracting at 64.4 percent

·       Inventory divestment subtracting 3.50 percentage points

 

The BEA finding accelerating factors:

 

  • Contraction of imports, which are a deduction from growth, at 54.1 percent after contracting at 15.0 percent in IQ2020
  • Durable goods contracting at 1.7 percent after contracting at 12.5 percent in IQ2020
  • Government expanding at 2.5 percent after growing at 1.3 percent in IQ2020
  • Federal government increasing at 16.4 percent after increasing at 1.6 percent in IQ2020

 

 

The BEA finds offsetting decelerating factors:

 

·       Personal consumption expenditure PCE contracting at 33.2 percent after contracting at 6.9 percent in IQ2020

·       Nonresidential fixed investment (NRFI) contracting at 27.2 percent after contracting a 6.7 percent in IQ2020

·       Exports contracting at 64.4 percent after contracting at 9.5 percent in IQ2020

·       State and local government expenditures contracting at 5.4 percent after growing at 1.1 percent in IQ2020

 

An important aspect of growth in the US is the decline in growth of real disposable personal income, or what is left after taxes and inflation, which decreased at the rate of 0.2 percent in IIIQ2013 compared with a year earlier. Contraction of real disposable income of 2.5 percent in IVQ2013 relative to a year earlier is largely due to comparison with an artificially higher level in anticipations of income in Nov and Dec 2012 to avoid increases in taxes in 2013, an episode known as “fiscal cliff.”  Real disposable personal income increased 3.1 percent in IQ2014 relative to a year earlier and 3.6 percent in IIQ2014 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable personal income increased 4.3 percent in IIIQ2014 relative to a year earlier and 5.2 percent in IVQ2014 compared with a year earlier. Real disposable personal income grew 4.9 percent in IQ2015 relative to a year earlier partly because of contraction of energy prices and increased at 4.4 percent in IIQ2015. Real disposable personal income grew at 4.0 percent in IIIQ2015 relative to a year earlier and at 3.0 percent in IVQ2015 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 2.5 percent in IQ2016 relative to a year earlier and at 1.6 percent in IIQ2016 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 1.8 percent in IIIQ2016 relative to a year earlier and at 1.8 percent in IVQ2016 compared with a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 2.1 percent in IQ2017 relative to a year earlier and grew at 3.3 percent in IIQ2017 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 3.5 percent in IIIQ2017 relative to a year earlier and grew 3.4 percent in IVQ2017 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 3.6 percent in IQ2018 relative to a year earlier and grew at 3.4 percent in IIQ2018 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable personal income grew at 3.6 percent in IIIQ2018 relative to a year earlier and at 3.7 percent in IVQ2018 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 3.2 percent in IQ2019 relative to a year earlier and grew at 2.1 percent in IIQ2019 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 1.8 percent in IIIQ2019 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 1.6 percent in IVQ2019 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable income grew at 1.4 percent in IQ2020 relative to a year earlier. Real disposable personal income grew at 11.8 percent in IIQ2020 relative to a year earlier. The effects of financial repression, or zero interest, are vividly shown in the decline of the savings rate, or personal saving as percent of disposable income from 10.2 percent in IVQ2012 to 6.6 percent in IIIQ2013 and 6.3 percent in IVQ2013. The savings rate eased to 7.3 percent in IQ2014, increasing to 7.4 percent in IIQ2014 and stabilizing to 7.4 percent in IIIQ2014. The savings rate moved to 7.4 percent in IVQ2014, increasing to 7.7 percent in IQ2015. The savings rate moved to 7.6 percent in IIQ2015, 7.7 percent in IIIQ2015 and 7.4 percent in IVQ2015. The savings ratio moved to 7.5 percent in IQ2016 and 6.6 percent in IIQ2016. The savings ratio eased at 6.3 percent in IIIQ2016 and at 6.4 percent in IVQ2016. The savings ratio reached 7.0 percent in IQ2017 and 6.7 percent in IIQ2017. The savings ratio eased to 6.7 percent in IIIQ2017 and 6.3 percent in IVQ2017. The savings ratio increased to 7.2 percent in IQ2018 and 7.6 percent in IIQ2018. The savings ratio eased to 7.5 percent in IIIQ2018 and increased to 7.8 percent in IVQ2018. The savings ratio increased to 8.5 percent in IQ2019, easing to 7.3 percent in IIQ2019. The savings ratio eased to 7.2 percent in IIIQ2019, stabilizing to 7.3 percent in IVQ2019. The savings ratio increased to 9.6 percent in IQ2020. The savings ratio increased to 25.7 percent in IIQ2020. Anticipation of income in IVQ2012 to avoid higher taxes in 2013 caused increases in income and savings while higher payroll taxes in 2013 restricted income growth and savings in IQ2013. Zero interest rates induce risky investments with high leverage and can contract balance sheets of families, business and financial institutions when interest rates inevitably increase in the future. There is a tradeoff of weaker economy in the future when interest rates increase by meager growth in the present with forced consumption by zero interest rates. Microeconomics consists of the analysis of allocation of scarce resources to alternative and competing ends. Zero interest rates cloud he calculus of risk and returns in consumption and investment, disrupting decisions that maintain the economy in its long-term growth path.

Table I-9, US, Percentage Seasonally Adjusted Annual Equivalent Quarterly Rates of Increase, %

II Q2019

III

Q2019

IV Q2019

IQ

2020

II

Q2020

GDP

1.5

2.6

2.4

-5.0

-31.4

PCE

3.7

2.7

1.6

-6.9

-33.2

Durable Goods

12.7

6.3

3.1

-12.5

-1.7

NRFI

0.0

1.9

-0.3

-6.7

-27.2

RFI

-2.1

4.6

5.8

19.0

-35.6

Net Exports GS % Points

-0.79

0.04

1.52

1.13

0.62

Exports

-4.5

0.8

3.4

-9.5

-64.4

Imports

1.7

0.5

-7.5

-15.0

-54.1

GOV

5.0

2.1

2.4

1.3

2.5

Federal GOV

9.2

4.8

4.0

1.6

16.4

National Defense

4.4

5.6

6.6

-0.3

3.8

GDP Growth % Points

0.17

0.22

0.26

-0.01

0.18

State/Local GOV

2.6

0.6

1.5

1.1

-5.4

∆ PI % Points

-0.97

-0.09

-0.82

-1.34

-3.50

Final Sales of Domestic Product

2.5

2.7

3.2

-3.6

-28.1

Gross Domestic Purchases

2.2

2.5

0.8

-5.9

-30.3

Prices Gross
Domestic Purchases

2.2

1.3

1.3

1.4

-1.4

Prices of GDP

2.5

1.5

1.4

1.4

-1.8

Prices of GDP Excluding Food and Energy

2.4

1.7

1.3

1.7

-1.2

Prices of PCE

2.5

1.4

1.5

1.3

-1.6

Prices of PCE Excluding Food and Energy

2.1

1.9

1.3

1.6

-0.8

Prices of Market Based PCE

2.1

1.1

1.5

1.3

-1.0

Prices of Market Based PCE Excluding Food and Energy

1.6

1.6

1.3

1.7

0.1

Real Disposable Personal Income*

2.1

1.8

1.6

1.4

11.8

Personal Saving As % Disposable Income

7.3

7.2

7.3

9.6

25.7

Note: PCE: personal consumption expenditures; NRFI: nonresidential fixed investment; RFI: residential fixed investment; GOV: government consumption expenditures and gross investment; ∆ PI: change in

private inventories; GDP - ∆ PI: final sales of domestic product; PP: percentage points; Personal savings rate: savings as percent of disposable income

*Percent change from quarter one year ago

Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Percentage shares of GDP are in Table I-10. PCE (personal consumption expenditures) is equivalent to 67.1 percent of GDP and is under pressure with stagnant real disposable income per person, elevated levels of unemployment and underemployment and higher savings rates than before the global recession, temporarily interrupted by financial repression in the form of zero interest rates. There is even stronger pressure in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Gross private domestic investment is also growing slowly even with about two trillion dollars in cash holdings by companies. In a slowing world economy, it may prove more difficult to grow exports faster than imports to generate higher growth. Bouts of risk aversion revalue the dollar relative to most currencies in the world as investors increase their holdings of dollar-denominated assets.

Table I-10, US, Percentage Shares of GDP, %

 

IIQ2020

GDP

100.0

PCE

67.1

   Goods

22.3

            Durable

7.6

            Nondurable

14.8

   Services

44.8

Gross Private Domestic Investment

16.0

    Fixed Investment

17.6

        NRFI

13.6

            Structures

3.0

            Equipment & Software

5.4

            Intellectual Property

5.2

        RFI

4.0

     Change in Private
      Inventories

-1.5

Net Exports of Goods and Services

-2.8

       Exports

9.2

                    Goods

5.8

                    Services

3.3

       Imports

12.0

                     Goods

9.9

                     Services

2.1

Government

19.7

        Federal

7.7

           National Defense

4.5

           Nondefense

3.2

        State and Local

12.0

PCE: personal consumption expenditures; NRFI: nonresidential fixed investment; RFI: residential fixed investment

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Table I-11 shows percentage point (PP) contributions to the annual levels of GDP growth in the earlier recessions 1958-1959, 1975-1976, 1982-1993 and 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The data incorporate the new revisions released by the BEA. The most striking contrast is in the rates of growth of annual GDP in the expansion phases of 6.9 percent in 1959, 5.4 percent in 1976, and 4.6 percent in 1983 followed by 7.2 percent in 1984 and 4.2 percent in 1985. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). In contrast, GDP grew 2.6 percent in 2010 after six consecutive quarters of growth, 1.6 percent in 2011 after ten consecutive quarters of expansion, 2.2 percent in 2012 after 14 quarters of expansion, 1.8 percent in 2013 after 18 consecutive quarters of expansion, 2.5 percent in 2014 after 22 consecutive quarters of expansion and 3.1 percent in 2015 after twenty-six consecutive quarters of expansion. GDP grew at 1.7 percent in 2016 after thirty consecutive quarters of expansion. GDP grew at 2.3 percent in 2017 after 34 quarters of expansion. GDP grew at 3.0 percent in 2018 after 38 quarters of expansion. GDP grew at 2.2 percent in 2019 after 42 quarters of expansion. Annual levels also show much stronger growth of PCEs in the expansions after the earlier contractions than in the expansion after the global recession of 2007. Gross domestic investment was much stronger in the earlier expansions than in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Table I-11, US, Percentage Point Contributions to the Annual Growth Rate of GDP

 

GDP

PCE

GDI

∆ PI

Trade

GOV

1958

-0.7

0.52

-1.16

-0.17

-0.87

0.76

1959

6.9

3.51

2.83

0.83

0.00

0.60

1975

-0.2

1.36

-2.91

-1.24

0.86

0.49

1976

5.4

3.41

2.91

1.37

-1.05

0.12

1982

-1.8

0.88

-2.46

-1.31

-0.59

0.37

1983

4.6

3.51

1.60

0.28

-1.32

0.79

1984

7.2

3.30

4.73

1.90

-1.54

0.74

1985

4.2

3.20

-0.01

-1.03

-0.39

1.37

1986

3.5

2.58

0.03

-0.31

-0.29

1.14

1987

3.5

2.15

0.53

0.41

0.17

0.62

1988

4.2

2.65

0.45

-0.13

0.81

0.26

1989

3.7

1.86

0.72

0.17

0.51

0.58

1990

1.9

1.28

-0.45

-0.21

0.40

0.65

1991

-0.1

0.12

-1.09

-0.26

0.62

0.25

1992

3.5

2.36

1.11

0.28

-0.04

0.10

1993

2.8

2.24

1.24

0.07

-0.56

-0.17

2009

-2.5

-0.85

-3.52

-0.83

1.13

0.70

2010

2.6

1.20

1.86

1.42

-0.49

0.00

2011

1.6

1.29

0.94

-0.05

-0.01

-0.66

2012

2.2

1.03

1.64

0.17

0.00

-0.42

2013

1.8

0.99

1.11

0.23

0.22

-0.47

2014

2.5

1.99

0.95

-0.12

-0.25

-0.17

2015

3.1

2.55

0.95

0.31

-0.76

0.33

2016

1.7

1.87

-0.27

-0.57

-0.21

0.32

2017

2.3

1.79

0.60

-0.04

-0.22

0.16

2018

3.0

1.85

1.08

0.20

-0.25

0.32

2019

2.2

1.64

0.30

-0.02

-0.18

0.40

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

Table I-12 provides more detail of the contributions to growth of GDP from 2009 to 2019 using annual-level data. PCEs contributed 1.20 PPs to GDP growth in 2010 of which 0.66 percentage points (PP) in goods and 0.57 PP in services. Gross private domestic investment (GPDI) deducted 3.52 PPs of GDP growth in 2009 of which -2.70 PPs by fixed investment and -0.83 PPs of inventory change (∆PI) and added 1.86 PPs of GDI in 2010 of which 0.44 PPs of fixed investment and 1.42 PPs of inventory accumulation (∆PI). Trade, or exports of goods and services net of imports, contributed 1.13 PPs in 2009 of which exports deducted 1.01 PPs and imports added 2.14 PPs. In 2010, trade deducted 0.49 PPs with exports contributing 1.35 PPs and imports deducting 1.84 PPs likely benefitting from dollar revaluation. In 2009, government added 0.70 PP of which 0.47 PPs by the federal government and 0.20 PPs by state and local government; in 2010, government added 0.02 PPs of which 0.37 PPs by the federal government with state and local government deducting 0.23 PPs. Table I-12 provides the estimates for 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. PCE contributed 1.29 PPs in 2011 after 1.20 PPs in 2010. The contribution of PCE fell to 1.03 points in 2012 and to 0.99 PPs in 2013, increasing to 1.99 PPs in 2014. PCE contributed 2.48 percentage points in 2015 and added 1.85 PPs in 2016. PCE contributed 1.78 percentage points in 2017. PCE contributed 2.05 PPs in 2018. PCE added 1.76 PPs in 2019. The breakdown into goods and services is similar but with contributions in 2012 of 0.48 PPs of goods and 0.55 PPs of services. In 2013, goods contributed 0.70 PPs and services 0.29 PPs. Goods contributed 0.90 PPs in 2014 and services contributed 1.10 PPs. Goods contributed 1.03 percentage points in 2015 and services 1.53 percentage points. Goods contributed 0.77 PPs in 2016 and services contributed 1.10 PPs. Goods contributed 0.86 PPs in 2017 and services contributed 0.93 PPs. Goods contributed 0.86 PPs in 2018 and services contributed 0.98 PPs. Goods contributed 0.78 PPs in 2019 and services contributed 0.86 PPs. Gross private domestic investment contributed 1.86 PPs in 2010 with 1.42 PPs of change of private inventories but the contribution of gross private domestic investment was only 0.94 PPs in 2011. The contribution of GDI in 2012 increased to 1.64 PPs with fixed investment increasing its contribution to 1.47 PPs and residential investment contributing 0.31 PPs for the first time since 2009. GDI contributed 1.64 PPs in 2012 with 1.47 PPs from fixed investment and 0.17 PPs from inventory change. GDI contributed 1.11 PPs in 2013, 0.95 PPs in 2014 and 0.95 PPs in 2015. GDI deducted 0.27 PPs in 2016 with contribution of 0.30 PPs of fixed investment and deduction of 0.57 PPs by inventory change. GDI contributed 0.60 PPs in 2017 with contribution of 0.64 PPs by fixed investment and 0.49 PPs by nonresidential fixed investment. GDI contributed 1.08 percentage points in 2018 with contribution of 0.88 percentage points by fixed investment and 0.91 percentage points by nonresidential fixed investment. GDI contributed 0.30 percentage points in 2019 with contributions of 0.32 percentage points by fixed investment and 0.39 percentage points by nonresidential fixed investment. Net exports of goods and services deducted marginally in 2011 with 0.01 PPs and added 0.00 PPs in 2012. Net trade contributed 0.22 PPs in 2013 and deducted 0.25 PPs in 2014. Net trade deducted 0.76 percentage points in 2015 and deducted 0.21 PPs in 2016. Net trade deducted 0.22 percentage points in 2017 and deducted 0.25 percentage points in 2018. Net trade deducted 0.18 percentage points in 2019. The contribution of exports fell from 1.35 PPs in 2010 and 0.90 PPs in 2011 to only 0.46 PPs in 2012, 0.48 PPs in 2013 and 0.57 PPs in 2014. Exports contributed only 0.06 percentage points in 2015 and 0.04 percentage points in 2016. Exports contributed 0.47 PPs in 2017 and contributed 0.36 percentage points in 2018. Exports deducted 0.01 percentage points in 2019. Government deducted 0.66 PPs in 2011, 0.42 PPs in 2012 and 0.47 PPs in 2013. Government deducted 0.17 PPs in 2014 and contributed 0.33 PPs in 2015, contributing 0.32 PPs in 2016. Government contributed 0.16 PPs in 2017 and contributed 0.32 PP in 2018. Government contributed 0.40 PP in 2019. Demand weakened in 2013 with lower contribution of personal consumption expenditures of 0.99 PPs and of gross domestic investment of 1.11 PPs.  PCE contributed 1.99 PPs in 2014 and GDI 0.95 PPs. PCE contributed 2.55 PPs in 2015 and GDI contributed 0.95 PPs. PCE contributed 1.87 PPs in 2016 and GDI deducted 0.27 PPs. PCE contributed 1.79 PPs in 2017 and GDI added 0.60 PPs. PCE contributed 1.85 PP in 2018 and GDI added 1.08 PPs. PCE contributed 1.64 PPs in 2019 and GDI added 0.30 PPs. Net trade contributed only 0.22 PPs in 2013 and deducted 0.25 PPs in 2014, deducting 0.76 PPs in 2015. Net trade deducted 0.21 PPs in 2016 and deducted 0.22 PPs in 2017. Net trade deducted 0.25 PPs in 2018. Net trade deducted 0.18 PPs in 2019. The expansion since IIIQ2009 has been characterized by weak contributions of aggregate demand, which is the sum of personal consumption expenditures plus gross private domestic investment. The US did not recover strongly from the global recessions as typical in past cyclical expansions. Recoveries tend to be more sluggish as expansions mature. At the margin in IVQ2011, the acceleration of expansion was driven by inventory accumulation instead of aggregate demand of consumption and investment. Growth of PCE was partly the result of burning savings because of financial repression, which may not be sustainable in the future while creating multiple distortions of resource allocation and growth restraint.

Table I-12, US, Contributions to Growth of Gross Domestic Product in Percentage Points

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

GDP Growth ∆%

-2.5

2.6

1.6

2.2

1.8

2.5

3.1

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE)

-0.85

1.20

1.29

1.03

0.99

1.99

2.55

  Goods

-0.70

0.62

0.49

0.48

0.70

0.90

1.03

     Durable

-0.45

0.39

0.35

0.41

0.42

0.50

0.53

     Nondurable

-0.25

0.24

0.14

0.07

0.28

0.40

0.50

  Services

-0.15

0.57

0.80

0.55

0.29

1.10

1.53

Gross Private Domestic Investment (GPDI)

-3.52

1.86

0.94

1.64

1.11

0.95

0.95

Fixed Investment

-2.70

0.44

0.99

1.47

0.87

1.07

0.65

    Nonresidential

-1.95

0.52

1.00

1.16

0.54

0.95

0.32

      Structures

-0.72

-0.50

0.07

0.34

0.04

0.33

-0.03

     Equipment, software

-1.22

0.92

0.69

0.62

0.28

0.42

0.19

      Intellectual Property

-0.02

0.11

0.24

0.20

0.22

0.20

0.16

    Residential

-0.74

-0.08

0.00

0.31

0.34

0.12

0.33

Change Private Inventories

-0.83

1.42

-0.05

0.17

0.23

-0.12

0.31

Net Exports of Goods and Services

1.13

-0.49

-0.01

0.00

0.22

-0.25

-0.76

   Exports

-1.01

1.35

0.90

0.46

0.48

0.57

0.06

      Goods

-1.00

1.12

0.61

0.36

0.30

0.42

-0.03

      Services

-0.01

0.23

0.28

0.10

0.18

0.14

0.09

   Imports

2.14

-1.84

-0.91

-0.46

-0.26

-0.81

-0.81

      Goods

2.08

-1.74

-0.82

-0.38

-0.25

-0.75

-0.73

      Services

0.06

-0.10

-0.09

-0.09

-0.01

-0.06

-0.08

Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment

0.70

0.00

-0.66

-0.42

-0.47

-0.17

0.33

  Federal

0.47

0.35

-0.23

-0.16

-0.44

-0.19

0.00

    National Defense

0.29

0.16

-0.12

-0.18

-0.34

-0.19

-0.09

    Nondefense

0.18

0.19

-0.11

0.03

-0.10

0.00

0.09

  State and Local

0.23

-0.35

-0.44

-0.26

-0.03

0.02

0.33

 

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

GDP Growth ∆%

2.5

3.1

1.7

2.3

3.0

2.2

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE)

1.99

2.55

1.87

1.79

1.85

1.64

  Goods

0.90

1.03

0.77

0.86

0.86

0.78

     Durable

0.50

0.53

0.41

0.49

0.48

0.34

     Nondurable

0.40

0.50

0.36

0.37

0.38

0.44

  Services

1.10

1.53

1.10

0.93

0.98

0.86

Gross Private Domestic Investment (GPDI)

0.95

0.95

-0.27

0.60

1.08

0.30

Fixed Investment

1.07

0.65

0.30

0.64

0.88

0.32

    Nonresidential

0.95

0.32

0.07

0.49

0.91

0.39

      Structures

0.33

-0.03

-0.14

0.12

0.11

-0.02

     Equipment, software

0.42

0.19

-0.10

0.18

0.45

0.12

      Intellectual Property

0.20

0.16

0.32

0.18

0.34

0.29

    Residential

0.12

0.33

0.23

0.15

-0.02

-0.07

Change Private Inventories

-0.12

0.31

-0.57

-0.04

0.20

-0.02

Net Exports of Goods and Services

-0.25

-0.76

-0.21

-0.22

-0.25

-0.18

   Exports

0.57

0.06

0.04

0.47

0.36

-0.01

      Goods

0.42

-0.03

0.04

0.31

0.33

-0.01

      Services

0.14

0.09

-0.01

0.15

0.03

-0.01

   Imports

-0.81

-0.81

-0.25

-0.68

-0.62

-0.16

      Goods

-0.75

-0.73

-0.17

-0.56

-0.60

-0.06

      Services

-0.06

-0.08

-0.08

-0.12

-0.01

-0.10

Government Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment

-0.17

0.33

0.32

0.16

0.32

0.40

  Federal

-0.19

0.00

0.04

0.02

0.18

0.26

    National Defense

-0.19

-0.09

-0.02

0.03

0.13

0.21

    Nondefense

0.00

0.09

0.06

-0.01

0.06

0.05

  State and Local

0.02

0.33

0.28

0.14

0.13

0.14

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

 

Industrial production increased 0.4 percent in Aug 2020 and increased 3.5 percent in Jul 2020 after increasing 6.1 percent in Jun 2020, with all data seasonally adjusted, as shown in Table I-1. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System conducted the annual revision of industrial production released on Mar 27, 2019 (https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g17/revisions/Current/DefaultRev.htm):

“The Federal Reserve has revised its index of industrial production (IP) and the related measures of capacity and capacity utilization.[1] On net, the revisions to the growth rates for total IP for recent years were small and positive, with the estimates for 2016 and 2017 a bit higher and the estimates for 2015 and 2018 slightly lower.[2] Total IP is still reported to have increased from the end of the recession in mid-2009 through late 2014 before declining in 2015 and rebounding in mid-2016. Subsequently, the index advanced around 7 1/2 percent over 2017 and 2018.

Capacity for total industry expanded modestly in each year from 2015 to 2017 before advancing 1 1/2 percent in 2018; it is expected to advance about 2 percent in 2019. Revisions for recent years were very small and showed slightly less expansion in most years relative to earlier reports.

In the fourth quarter of 2018, capacity utilization for total industry stood at 79.4 percent, about 3/4 percentage point above its previous estimate and about 1/2 percentage point below its long-run (1972–2018) average. The utilization rate in 2017 is also higher than its previous estimate.”

The report of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System states (https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/g17/current/default.htm):

“Industrial production rose 0.4 percent in August for its fourth consecutive monthly increase. However, even after the recent gains, the index in August was 7.3 percent below its pre-pandemic February level. Manufacturing output continued to improve in August, rising 1.0 percent, but the gains for most manufacturing industries have gradually slowed since June. Mining production fell 2.5 percent in August, as Tropical Storm Marco and Hurricane Laura caused sharp but temporary drops in oil and gas extraction and well drilling. The output of utilities moved down 0.4 percent. At 101.4 percent of its 2012 average, the level of total industrial production was 7.7 percent lower in August than it was a year earlier. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector increased 0.3 percentage point in August to 71.4 percent, a rate that is 8.4 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2019) average but 7.3 percentage points above its low in April.”  United States industry apparently decelerated to a lower growth rate followed by possible acceleration, weakening growth in past months and deep contraction in the global recession, with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event.

Manufacturing decreased 22.3 percent from the peak in Jun 2007 to the trough in Apr 2009 and increased 18.3 percent from the trough in Apr 2009 to Dec 2019. Manufacturing increased 13.7 percent from the trough in Apr 2009 to Aug 2020. Manufacturing in Aug 2020 is lower by 11.6 percent relative to the peak in Jun 2007. The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. US economic growth has been at only 1.2 percent on average in the cyclical expansion in the 44 quarters from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event. Boskin (2010Sep) measures that the US economy grew at 6.2 percent in the first four quarters and 4.5 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the second quarter of 1975; and at 7.7 percent in the first four quarters and 5.8 percent in the first 12 quarters after the trough in the first quarter of 1983 (Professor Michael J. Boskin, Summer of Discontent, Wall Street Journal, Sep 2, 2010 http://professional.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703882304575465462926649950.html). There are new calculations using the revision of US GDP and personal income data since 1929 by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) (http://bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm) and the third estimate of GDP for IIQ2020 (https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/gdp2q20_3rd.pdf). The average of 7.7 percent in the first four quarters of major cyclical expansions is in contrast with the rate of growth in the first four quarters of the expansion from IIIQ2009 to IIQ2010 of only 2.8 percent obtained by dividing GDP of $15,557.3 billion in IIQ2010 by GDP of $15,134.1 billion in IIQ2009 {[($15,557.3/$15,134.1) -1]100 = 2.8%], or accumulating the quarter on quarter growth rates (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The expansion from IQ1983 to IQ1986 was at the average annual  growth rate of 5.7 percent, 5.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1986, 5.1 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1986, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1987, 5.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1987, 4.9 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1988, 4.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1989, 4.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1989, 4.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1989, 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1989. 4.5 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1990, 4.4 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1990, 4.3 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1990, 4.0 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1990, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1991, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1991, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ2019, 3.8 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1992, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIQ1993, 3.6 percent from IQ1983 to IIIQ1993, 3.7 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1993 and at 7.9 percent from IQ1983 to IVQ1983 (Section I and earlier) (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/d-ollar-devaluation-and-yuan.html). The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) dates a contraction of the US from IQ1990 (Jul) to IQ1991 (Mar) (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html). The expansion lasted until another contraction beginning in IQ2001 (Mar). US GDP contracted 1.3 percent from the pre-recession peak of $8983.9 billion of chained 2009 dollars in IIIQ1990 to the trough of $8865.6 billion in IQ1991 (https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm). The US maintained growth at 3.0 percent on average over entire cycles with expansions at higher rates compensating for contractions. Growth at trend in the entire cycle from IVQ2007 to IIQ2020 and in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event would have accumulated to 44.7 percent. GDP in IIQ2020 would be $22,807.6 billion (in constant dollars of 2012) if the US had grown at trend, which is higher by $5505.1 billion than actual $17,302.5 billion. There are more than five trillion dollars of GDP less than at trend, explaining the 34.8 million unemployed or underemployed equivalent to actual unemployment/underemployment of 20.2 percent of the effective labor force with the largest part originating in the global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19 event (https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/09/exchange-rate-fluctuations-1.html and earlier https://cmpassocregulationblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/thirty-eight-million-unemployed-or.html). Unemployment is decreasing while employment is increasing in initial adjustment of the lockdown of economic activity in the global recession resulting from the COVID-19 event (https://www.bls.gov/cps/employment-situation-covid19-faq-june-2020.pdf). US GDP in IIQ2020 is 24.1 percent lower than at trend. US GDP grew from $15,762.0 billion in IVQ2007 in constant dollars to $17,302.5 billion in IIQ2020 or 9.8 percent at the average annual equivalent rate of 0.7 percent. Professor John H. Cochrane (2014Jul2) estimates US GDP at more than 10 percent below trend. Cochrane (2016May02) measures GDP growth in the US at average 3.5 percent per year from 1950 to 2000 and only at 1.76 percent per year from 2000 to 2015 with only at 2.0 percent annual equivalent in the current expansion. Cochrane (2016May02) proposes drastic changes in regulation and legal obstacles to private economic activity. The US missed the opportunity to grow at higher rates during the expansion and it is difficult to catch up because growth rates in the final periods of expansions tend to decline. The US missed the opportunity for recovery of output and employment always afforded in the first four quarters of expansion from recessions. Zero interest rates and quantitative easing were not required or present in successful cyclical expansions and in secular economic growth at 3.0 percent per year and 2.0 percent per capita as measured by Lucas (2011May). There is cyclical uncommonly slow growth in the US instead of allegations of secular stagnation. There is similar behavior in manufacturing. There is classic research on analyzing deviations of output from trend (see for example Schumpeter 1939, Hicks 1950, Lucas 1975, Sargent and Sims 1977). The long-term trend is growth of manufacturing at average 2.9 percent per year from Aug 1919 to Aug 2020. Growth at 2.9 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 155.5554 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841 which is 36.2 percent below trend. The underperformance of manufacturing in Mar-Aug 2020 originates partly in the earlier global recession augmented by the current global recession with output in the US reaching a high in Feb 2020 (https://www.nber.org/cycles.html), in the lockdown of economic activity in the COVID-19. Manufacturing grew at the average annual rate of 3.3 percent between Dec 1986 and Dec 2006. Growth at 3.3 percent per year would raise the NSA index of manufacturing output (SIC, Standard Industrial Classification) from 108.2987 in Dec 2007 to 163.3909 in Aug 2020. The actual index NSA in Aug 2020 is 99.2841, which is 39.2 percent below trend. Manufacturing output grew at average 1.7 percent between Dec 1986 and Aug 2020. Using trend growth of 1.7 percent per year, the index would increase to 134.0774 in Aug 2020. The output of manufacturing at 99.2841 in Aug 2020 is 26.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation. Using the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System), manufacturing output fell from the high of 110.5147 in Jun 2007 to the low of 86.3800 in Apr 2009 or 21.8 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased from 86.3800 in Apr 2009 to 100.4257 in Aug 2020 or 16.3 percent. The NAICS manufacturing index increased at the annual equivalent rate of 3.5 percent from Dec 1986 to Dec 2006. Growth at 3.5 percent would increase the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 164.9372 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 39.1 below trend. The NAICS manufacturing output index grew at 1.7 percent annual equivalent from Dec 1999 to Dec 2006. Growth at 1.7 percent would raise the NAICS manufacturing output index from 106.6777 in Dec 2007 to 132.0705 in Aug 2020. The NAICS index at 100.4257 in Aug 2020 is 24.0 percent below trend under this alternative calculation. Table I-13 provides national income by industry without capital consumption adjustment (WCCA). “Private industries” or economic activities have share of 86.4 percent in IIQ2020. Most of US national income is in the form of services. In Aug 2020, there were 140.598 million nonfarm jobs NSA in the US, according to estimates of the establishment survey of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm Table B-1). Total private jobs of 119.713 million NSA in Aug 2020 accounted for 85.1 percent of total nonfarm jobs of 140.598 million, of which 12.211 million, or 10.2 percent of total private jobs and 8.7 percent of total nonfarm jobs, were in manufacturing. Private service-providing jobs were 99.418 million NSA in Aug 2020, or 70.7 percent of total nonfarm jobs and 83.0 percent of total private-sector jobs. Manufacturing has share of 8.7 percent in US national income in IIQ2020 and durable goods 5.1 percent, as shown in Table I-13. Most income in the US originates in services. Subsidies and similar measures designed to increase manufacturing jobs will not increase economic growth and employment and may actually reduce growth by diverting resources away from currently employment-creating activities because of the drain of taxation.

Table I-13, US, National Income without Capital Consumption Adjustment by Industry, Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rates, Billions of Dollars, % of Total

SAAR IQ2020

% Total

SAAR IIQ2020

% Total

National Income WCCA

18,092.3

100.0

15,768.7

100.0

Domestic Industries

17,849.1

98.7

15,616.8

99.0

Private Industries

15,767.2

87.1

13,626.3

86.4

Agriculture

147.5

0.8

94.2

0.6

Mining

155.5

0.9

62.9

0.4

Utilities

204.1

1.1

209.2

1.3

Construction

954.2

5.3

827.5

5.2

Manufacturing

1671.5

9.2

1374.2

8.7

Durable Goods

995.5

5.5

798.1

5.1

Nondurable Goods

676.0

3.7

576.1

3.7

Wholesale Trade

1010.9

5.6

876.7

5.6

Retail Trade

1204.8

6.7

1074.4

6.8

Transportation & WH

589.2

3.3

415.7

2.6

Information

692.0

3.8

634.6

4.0

Finance, Insurance, RE

3192.4

17.6

3218.9

20.4

Professional & Business Services

2737.7

15.1

2471.3

15.7

Education, Health Care

1873.3

10.4

1525.7

9.7

Arts, Entertainment

795.8

4.4

404.3

2.6

Other Services

538.4

3.0

436.7

2.8

Government

2081.9

11.5

1990.5

12.6

Rest of the World

243.2

1.3

151.9

1.0

Notes: SSAR: Seasonally-Adjusted Annual Rate; Percentages Calculates from Unrounded Data; WCCA: Without Capital Consumption Adjustment by Industry; WH: Warehousing; RE, includes rental and leasing: Real Estate; Art, Entertainment includes recreation, accommodation and food services; BS: business services

Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis

https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/index_nipa.cfm

 

© Carlos M. Pelaez, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)