SIM SUPER ELMer
<TOEICリスニング・リーディング特効薬!> SIM音読用英文
 
<No.547>
US Economy Rebounds Strongly in 2nd Quarter of 2014
The U.S. economy bounced back to life

in the April to June quarter

as consumers and businesses went on a spending spree.


The expansion was broad-based:

U.S. exports grew sharply,

businesses re-stocked inventories

and state and local governments increased spending.


Speaking at a rally in Kansas City,

President Barack Obama said it's another sign

that things are getting better.


"None of this is an accident.


It's thanks to the resilience and resolve

of the American people.


It's also thanks to some decisions

that we made early on

and now America's recovered faster and come farther

than just about any other advanced country on Earth."


Despite the upbeat data,

financial markets were mostly flat

as investors took the longer view.


This is just the first of several estimates

for the second quarter.


Economist Sean Snaith

at Central Florida's Institute for Economic Competitiveness

says it's too early to start celebrating.


"I'm not gonna uncork the champagne

with today's data just yet.


I think it's good news

but we need to string this good news together over time."


Despite the burst of activity in the second quarter,

Snaith says what happens in the third and fourth quarters will
determine

whether this recovery is sustainable.


More telling, he says, is what the U.S. central bank does next.


"How will the Federal Reserve react

if in fact the economic recovery is gaining momentum?


Will this, you know, speed up the timing and the pace

of interest rate hikes?


In which case,

that certainly could take some air out of the stock market."


The U.S. central bank upgraded its assessment of the economy on
Wednesday -

saying it will press ahead with plans

to cut bond purchases

by another ten billion dollars next month.


The bond buying program has kept

U.S. interest rates near record lows,

helping to boost consumer and business spending.


The Fed says it's in no rush to raise interest rates -

but economists warn

continued low rates could fuel inflation.


Mil Arcega, VOA News, Washington
 

東京SIM外語研究所
tokyosim@tokyo-sim.com

SIMロゴ

▲Page Top
Copyright (C) 2003 Tokyo-SIM. All Rights Reserved.
特定商取引法に基づく表示 会社概要 厚生労働大臣指定講座