Will the U.S. economic recovery last?

By Money Matters Editors

After a year of negative GDP growth, U.S. GDP growth finally returned, registering a better-than-expected 3.5 percent growth rate in Q3.

Doesn’t it seem like it’s been years since economists and analysts have talked about GDP growth? That’s because the recession actually started in December 2007 – with only a modest level of growth occurring during Q4 2007. In other words, the United States registered five consecutive quarters of sub-par growth or  negative growth: that is a long time. In fact, the U.S. economy registered four straight negative growth quarters during the recession – the first time that’s occurred since the Great Depression.

Further, in the past 12 months, the economy has contracted 2.3 percent, including a 0.7 percent contraction in Q2 and a 6.4 percent plunge in Q1.