Economics
Don't Sweat America's Upcoming Microscopic GDP Growth
Normal growth for the U.S. economy is just a lot lower than it used to be.
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Brace yourself for a tiny number on Thursday, when the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports a fresh figure on gross domestic product growth in the U.S. The median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg is for an annual growth rate of just 0.6 percent for the first three months of 2016. A number that low was long considered strong evidence of an impending recession. Anything below 1 percent growth was "stall speed," an airplane metaphor for flying too slowly for the air passing over the wings to provide lift.
This time around, don't sweat the small number.