Economy: Biggest drop in 7 years


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Gross domestic product falls 0.5% in the third quarter, showing greater economic weakness than original reading.

The troubled U.S. economy posted its biggest drop in seven years, according to a government report Tuesday.

The gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation’s economic activity, declined 0.5% in the three months ending Sept. 30, according to the Commerce Department.

This was in line with estimates from economists surveyed.

The original reading showed a 0.3% decline.

The third quarter drop was the biggest for the economy since a 1.4% decline in the third quarter of 2001, the last full quarter that the U.S. economy was judged to be in a recession.

While there has yet to be an official determination that the economy is currently in a recession, most economists believe the U.S. is already in one and that the economy is likely to continue to shrink in the fourth quarter and the beginning of 2009.

The economy took a huge hit from a pullback in consumer spending in the quarter. Spending by individuals, rather than businesses or governments, accounts for about 70% of the nation’s economic activity and remained strong enough in the most recent recession of 2001 to allow that downturn to be relatively mild.

But in the third quarter spending by consumers plunged by nearly $80 billion, or 3.7%, the biggest percentage drop in 28 years. And early readings on spending in October suggest that spending and the economy as a whole will be even weaker in the fourth quarter, hit by tight credit, rising job losses and low levels of consumer confidence.

“Everyone is waiting for the hammer blow that weak auto sales is delivering to fourth-quarter growth,” said Robert Brusca of FAO Economics.