Powered by strong consumer spending, the U.S. economy grew at the fastest pace in two years from July through September, the government said Thursday in a slight upgrade of its first estimate.
America’s gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rose at a 4.4% annual pace in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, up from 3.8% in the April-June quarter and from the 4.3% growth the department initially estimated. The economy hasn’t grown faster since third-quarter 2023.
Consumer spending, which accounts for 70% of U.S. GDP, grew at a healthy 3.5% pace.
Spending on services such as healthcare rose 3.6% versus a 3% uptick on goods spending, including an increase of just 1.6% on so-called durable goods such as cars that are meant to last at least three years.
Business investment (excluding homebuilding) rose at a 3.2% clip, partly reflecting bets on artificial intelligence.
Despite the strong growth numbers, many Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the economy and especially the high cost of living.
Employers have added a lackluster 28,000 jobs a month since March. In the 2021-2023 hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns, by contrast, they were creating 400,000 jobs a month. Still, the unemployment rate remains low at 4.4%, suggesting a no-hire, no-fire labor market with companies hesitant to bring on new employees but reluctant to let go of the ones they have.
“The United States is experiencing a jobless boom where strong growth is powered by AI investments and consumption by wealthier families, but there is almost no hiring,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “It’s an uneasy situation for many middle-class families.”
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