NAM Forecasts Sluggish Growth, Supports Economic Stimulus

摘要

THE U.S. ECONOMY should avert a recession, but will experience a significant deceleration in GDP growth through the first half of this year due to surging energy prices and a dip in corporate profits that will hold down business spending, according to the 2008 Economic Forecast from the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington, D.C., released Jan. 23 David Huether, NAM's chief economist and the report's author, sees GDP growing by just 1.4 percent in the first half. "The ripple effect of the housing downturn and a slowdown in motor vehicle production has caused a significant hit to the manufacturing economy," Huether says. Overall, manufacturing output edged up by just 1.8 percent in 2007-its slowest pace in four years-and is expected to continue at 1.9 percent in 2008.