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Fiscal fizzle saps U.S. economic recovery, a possible boost to Biden

Published 09/18/2020, 04:14 PM
Updated 09/18/2020, 05:45 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Biden speaks about developing and distributing a safe coronavirus vaccine during campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Biden speaks about developing and distributing a safe coronavirus vaccine during campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware

By Ann Saphir

(Reuters) - This week's economic data offers fresh hints that the U.S. recovery will slow without new federal aid, a possible blow to President Donald Trump's reelection bid, especially since any new spending before the Nov. 3 presidential election seems unlikely.

A slowdown in U.S. consumer spending in August provided the clearest evidence this week that as millions of Americans lost the extra unemployment benefits that had sustained their finances in the early months of the COVID-19 recession, they have begun to cut back.

For a graphic on A rebound, and then sideways? A rebound, and then sideways?

https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/ECONOMY-RETAILSALES/ygdvzkyeypw/chart.png

In an economy where consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of the total output, less shopping means less overall growth.

The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment dropped less than expected, and applications for the week before were revised up, suggesting the labor market recovery has plateaued.

For a graphic on Jobless claims still elevated:

https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/ECONOMY-JOBLESS/azgponxegvd/chart.png

Meanwhile, a Fed survey released Friday showed that American households were better off financially in July than they were in the first months of the crisis, in large part because of their access to government aid.

Other data this week indicate the recovery is ongoing in some parts of the economy.

U.S. factory production increased for a fourth straight month in August, and confidence rose to a record among single-family homebuilders, who saw a boost to demand from low interest rates and pandemic-fueled demand for homes suited to remote work.

Broad consumer sentiment also picked up in September, a report showed Friday. Democrats grew more upbeat about the economy's outlook while Republicans' enthusiasm dipped, but overall consumer optimism is still down compared with before the crisis.

STIMULUS IS COMING, EVENTUALLY

Next week Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to address lawmakers at three separate hearings, where he will undoubtedly make the same observation he has repeatedly made for months, including after this week's policymaking meeting: more stimulus "is likely to be needed" for the recovery to continue.

The House, controlled by Democrats, and the Senate, controlled by Republicans, are deadlocked on any stimulus bill, and there's little chance of it passing before the election.

Eventually, Congress will pass some pandemic relief, no matter who wins the presidential contest. But it's likely to be less under Trump, a Republican, than under Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

"If Trump wins and (Republicans) retain control of the Senate and the president says he wants more stimulus, Republicans will find a way to go along with that," said Eric Winograd, senior economist at AllianceBernstein (NYSE:AB). "If Biden wins, you would get bigger stimulus."

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) economists said they would likely boost their fourth-quarter GDP forecast if Biden wins and Democrats retake the U.S. Senate, because Democrats would approve a spending package larger than the $1 trillion Goldman has penciled in.

VOTERS FOCUSED ON VIRUS

Despite overall concerns about the strength of the recovery, and millions out of work since the pandemic hit, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/qzjvqnkqrpx/Topline%20Reuters%20General%20Election%20Tracker%2009%2015%202020.pdf found that 45% of U.S. adults think Trump is the better candidate for rebuilding the economy. That's compared with 36% who say Biden would be better.

But the same poll showed that likely voters were much more concerned about a candidate's ability to fight the coronavirus and restore trust in government, both issues on which voters gave Biden a lead.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Biden speaks about developing and distributing a safe coronavirus vaccine during campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware

COVID-19 has killed more than 197,000 in the United States since the pandemic began. New daily cases are now averaging about 40,000, about 60% of the July peak.

 

Latest comments

trump and the GOP plans to deny and let the virus run wild got us to where we are now. Continuing this course will only lead to more problems and further economic decline. The only hope short of accepting 3 million deaths in obtaining "herd immunity" and continuing economic failure for years to come is to kick trump and the GOP to the curb in November and elect some real leadership that will take action in testing, tracing, and confining, to get this pandemic under control.
Less shopping, less growth, less pollution, --Less do it !!
If Biden gets elected president, this country is DONE!He cant even put two sentences together and if Harris gets in the presidency spot we will become a third world country
like the Communist satellite state it is now under president Putin and Vice president tRump
Agree that Biden and Harris are not fit for the job. But, that doesn't mean at all Trump is. Saying South and heading north. Probably will start to think that decadence is here, slow but sure. Unless magic happens (¿?) with someone new, destiny is written. Painful and depressing but looks that US needs a huge overhauling and will take years. No political saviors.
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