GDP fell 0.9% in the second quarter, the second straight decline and a strong recession signal

GDP fell 0.9% in the second quarter, the second straight decline and a strong recession signal | 28 July 2022 | The U.S. economy contracted for the second straight quarter from April to June, hitting a widely accepted rule of thumb for a recession, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported Thursday. Gross domestic product fell 0.9% at an annualized pace for the period, according to the advance estimate. That follows a 1.6% decline in the first quarter and was worse than the Dow Jones estimate for a gain of 0.3%. Officially, the National Bureau of Economic Research declares recessions and expansions, and likely won't make a judgment on the period in question for months if not longer. But a second straight negative GDP reading meets a long-held basic view of recession, despite the unusual circumstances of the decline and regardless of what the NBER decides.