Dr. Jack Rasmus dissects the latest report on US economic growth for
first quarter 2016, showing a mere 0.5% annual GDP growth rate. The
collapse confirms his prediction of early January 2016, and confirms the
US economy remains on a ‘stop-go’ trajectory, having again slipped into
a ‘stall speed’ that raises risks of US sliding into recession. Rasmus
explains the longer term trends behind the 0.5%, and why the US 0.5%
annual growth rate, when compared to the previous quarter, is an even
lower 0.1% GDP or less. Averaging over 8+ years, the US economy has
grown only 10.1%, or barely 1%, or even less per year after adjustments.
Jack explains how the US and other countries have been redefining GDP
to help the appearance of growth—including China, India and Europe as
well as US. The more fundamental trends behind 1st quarter
US GDP are then reviewed--including business investment, industrial
production, exports, consumption, and prices, all of which suggest the
US economy nearing the brink of another recession. Why the US economy
keeps ‘relapsing’ periodically since 2009 is discussed, as well as the
likely impact of the 1st quarter US slowdown on other global economies and markets. (For more information, listeners should read Jack’s recent Telesur media article on US GDP posted on the PRN network website—‘Is the US Economy Heading for Recession?’)