Edging Out of Recession

The global slowdown appears to have come to an end during the summer of 2009. Most countries saw a smaller decline in economic activity in the second quarter, with some economies even recording positive growth rates once again. In the U.S.A., the economic contraction moderated in the second quarter of 2009, with the government’s economic stimulus packages and net exports making positive contributions to GDP growth, and the negative contribution from investment decreasing significantly vis-à-vis the previous quarter. With the household saving rate rising sharply, private consumption is making a negative contribution to growth. Although this development may help to reduce global imbalances, it could dampen the recovery in the U.S.A. In the euro area, too, there are signs of a gradual improvement, with GDP declining by a mere 0.1% quarter on quarter in the second quarter of 2009. This growth was underpinned not only by a strong positive contribution from net exports, but also consumption. The likelihood of a further increase in consumption, however, is uncertain, as the labor market situation is set to deteriorate and because consumer demand has recently been bolstered by fiscal stimulus packages that were only temporary. Investment remained weak, as capacity utilization was extremely low. Current forecasts predict a gradual recovery in the euro area economy. In the summer of 2009, euro area inflation bottomed out, with the HICP falling by 0.7% in July. This was due primarily to base effects stemming from commodity prices. The latest forecasts predict that there will be no risks to price stability until the end of 2010. The Central, Eastern and Southeastern European countries also recorded considerable declines in GDP growth in the first half of 2009. However, the stabilization of the financial markets, as well as leading indicators, suggest that there will be an improvement over the rest of the year. In many countries, the recession brought about reductions in current account deficits. After posting negative growth rates for four consecutive quarters, the Austrian economy is set to pick up again in the second half of 2009, mainly on the back of improved external conditions, fiscal stimulus packages and inventory cycle developments. The OeNB’s latest short-term indicator results show real GDP growth at 0.4% in both the third and fourth quarters of 2009 (seasonally and working day-adjusted, on a quarterly basis). Owing to the sharp slump recorded at the beginning of the year, a 3.6% contraction is forecast for the full year 2009.