US economy expanded at sluggish 1.5% pace in second quarter, on par with earlier estimate
- The U.S. economy grew at a 1.5% pace from April to June.
- Consumer spending increased at a healthy 3.4% annual rate, up from 0.5% in the previous quarter.
- Imports rose at a 12.5% annual pace, negatively impacting GDP growth.
- Business investment, excluding housing, rose at an 8.5% pace in the second quarter.
- An inflation measure showed prices rose 3.7% in July compared to a year earlier.
The U.S. economy grew at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June, according to the Commerce Department. This growth rate is unchanged from earlier estimates. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, increased at a healthy 3.4% annual rate, significantly up from 0.5% in the January-March period.
The lackluster growth was attributed to rising imports, which grew at a 12.5% annual pace and subtracted 1.64 percentage points from second-quarter growth. Despite this, business investment, excluding housing, rose at an impressive 8.5% pace, driven by a boom in artificial intelligence investment.
Additionally, a measure of the economy's underlying strength, which excludes volatile government spending and trade figures, grew at a strong 4.2% rate, up from 1.7% in the first quarter. The housing market showed signs of recovery with investment ticking up for the first time since late 2024, although high mortgage rates continue to be a challenge.
美国经济在第二季度以缓慢的1.5%增速扩张，符合早期估计
美国经济在4月至6月期间以缓慢的1.5%的速度增长，商务部报告称这一增长率与早期估计一致。消费者支出占美国经济活动的约70%，以健康的3.4%的年增长率增加，显著高于1月至3月期间的0.5%。
增长乏力的原因归因于进口的上升，进口以12.5%的年增长速度上涨，减少了1.64个百分点的第二季度增长。尽管如此，不包括住房的商业投资以8.5%的速度增长，受到人工智能投资热潮的推动。
此外，剔除波动性政府支出和贸易数据的经济基本面指标以4.2%的强劲速度增长，高于第一季度的1.7%。住房市场首次出现投资回升，尽管高抵押贷款利率仍然是一个挑战。