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| The reawakening of Europe, combined with growth in the United States, has kept Chinese industry humming to satisfy demand for goods, from auto parts to tools to clothing. CHINATOPIX, via Associated Press |
The Global Economy Is Finally Making Some Noise
- For the first time since the global economic downturn, every major economy on earth is expanding, creating jobs, lifting fortunes and tempering fears of popular discontent.
- The result is a hopeful albeit fragile recovery, one vulnerable to the increasingly unpredictable predilections of world leaders.
U.S. Economy Grew at 2.6% Rate in Fourth Quarter
The American economy finished off last year on a firm footing, and is poised for more vigorous growth in the months to come.
Preliminary estimates released by the government on Friday showed that the nation’s output increased at an annual rate of 2.6 percent in the final quarter of 2017. Although that performance amounts to less than the heady 4 percent annual growth that President Trump has promised, it is further evidence — along with a sinking jobless rate and surging consumer confidence — of the economy’s resilience.