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A Return to Trend Growth in 2010?

By Anonymous

From the NY Times: White House Forecasts No Job Growth Until 2010

Speaking on C-SPAN, Christina Romer, chairwoman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, said that she expected the G.D.P. to begin growing in the fourth quarter of this year. ... Ms. Romer also said that she expected unemployment to rise even after the economy turns, saying that the G.D.P. has to grow at a rate of about 2.5 percent before unemployment will fall. Before that happens, she said, it is ?unfortunately pretty realistic? that the unemployment rate could reach 9.5 percent. A reasonable estimate for the G.D.P.?s growth rate in 2010, she said, is three percent.

Three percent is pretty close to trend growth. Although three percent is possible, I think a more sluggish recovery is likely. Note: Romer isn't forecasting a "V-shaped" recovery with strong growth coming out of the recession.

The usual engines of recovery - personal consumption expenditures (PCE) and residential investment (RI) - will both be under pressure. With nearly stagnant wages and a rising saving rate (my forecast based on households repairing balance sheets and an aging population), PCE growth will probably be below trend. And for RI, there is far too much inventory for any significant rebound in new home construction. Where will growth come from? Not investment - there is too much capacity.

Meanwhile the banking system is still very fragile, with the Obama administration gambling that the banks will earn their way out of the mess.

I'm still amazed by the bipolar outlooks of forecasters: just a few months ago, many forecasters were openly talking about a 2nd Great Depression (while I was writing about seeing a bottom in a few key leading indicators), and now some forecasters are talking about an immaculate recovery. Amazing.

Full post as published by Calculated Risk on May 10, 2009 (boomark / email).