May 2001: Slowdown in the US
Implications for Housing and Employment in the US and PR
In the summer of 2000, the miracle economy of the 90s began to falter. Real GDP growth slowed to a near-recession in the fourth quarter of 2000. Although growth has subsequently picked up in the first quarter of 2001, many analysts expect a downward revision to the first quarter number and a weaker second quarter. While an actual recession (commonly defined as two quarters of negative real GDP growth) is unlikely, if the weakening job market were to cause somewhat weakened consumer spending to pull back even further, recession becomes a possibility. Find out how Puerto Rico has been impacted by the US slowdown. With so much uncertainty, let`s examine the near-term outlook for two key sectors in the US and Puerto Rico: housing and jobs.