U.S. Economic News

January 30, 2020

U.S. Economic Indicators

The advance estimate of 2019 Q4 GDP indicates that the U.S. economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.1% in the fourth quarter, in line with consensus estimates. The increase in real GDP reflects positive contributions from net exports, consumer spending, government spending, and residential investment that were partly offset by negative contributions from business investment and private inventories. BEA Report

Initial jobless claims fell 7,000 to 216,000 last week. The four-week moving average fell 1,750 to 214,500. DOL Report

U.S. News

The Washington Post reports that the Fed left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, consistent with expectations as the U.S. economy continues to grow at a slow but steady pace. However, central bank officials noted that they are monitoring a number of risks that could impact the global and U.S. economies, including ongoing trade tensions and the coronavirus outbreak. WaPo