US GDP Grows at Record 33.1% in Q3

The US economy expanded by an annualized 33.1% in Q3 2020, beating forecasts of a 31% surge. It is the biggest expansion ever, following a record 31.4% plunge in Q2, as the economy rebounds from the coronavirus pandemic. Personal spending surged and was the main driver of growth, helped by checks and weekly unemployment benefits from the federal CARES Act. Growth also reflects increases in private inventory investment, exports, nonresidential fixed investment, and residential fixed investment that were partly offset by decreases in federal government spending (reflecting fewer fees paid to administer the Paycheck Protection Program loans). However, GDP is still 3.5% below its pre-pandemic level and the outlook for Q4 and 2021 remains uncertain as the pandemic is far from controlled and a vaccine is not ready yet. Also, out of more than 22 million jobs lost in March and April only around 11.3 million were recovered so far while a new stimulus bill hasn't been approved yet.
BEA | Joana Taborda | joana.taborda@tradingeconomics.com
10/29/2020 1:24:59 PM
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, surged at a record high of 40.7 percent, after a record 33.2 percent fall in the previous quarter. Spending jumped for durable goods (82.2 percent vs -1.7 percent), nondurables (28.8 percent vs -15 percent) and services (38.4 percent vs -41.8 percent). 

Business investment surged 20.3 percent (vs -27.2 percent in the second quarter), due to a recovery in euipment (70.1 percent vs -35.9 percent) while investment in structures (-14.6 percent vs -33.6 percent) and intellectual property/software (-1 percent vs -11.4 percent) continued to decline. Residential investment jumped 59.3 percent, after sinking 35.6 percent. 

Inventories added 6.62 percentage points to growth after dragging it by 3.5 percentage point in Q2.  

Exports jumped 59.7 percent, following a 64.4 percent decline in the previous period 64.4 percent (vs -63.2 percent) and imports increased 91.1 percent (vs -54.1 percent), making the contribution from net trade negative (-3.09 percentage pointsvs +0.62 percentgae points). 

Federal government spending went down 6.2 percent after jumping 16.4 percent in Q2.

US GDP Grows at Record 33.1% in Q3