Q3 2011: We Are Not There Yet

Puerto Rico’s third quarter indices reveal a mixed picture. The economy is not yet out of recession but there are some positive signs. However, there are already rumors of another recession brewing in the US as a result of the unresolved debt hangover in Europe and its efforts to save Greece and the continent’s debt-burdened banks. Still, the idea that the island has hit bottom is a possibility but, as we have indicated in prior issues of Compass, this will depend not only on internal but also on external factors originating in the US and other global economies. There is increasing dissatisfaction with escalating electricity prices and persistently high unemployment. This issue tracks the 3Q of the PR economy and highlights some trends.