Recovery arriving quicker than expected but activity will remain weak, says OECD

Note: Clarification of annual projections

03/09/2009 - Recovery from the global recession is likely to arrive earlier than had been expected a few months ago but the pace of activity will remain weak well into next year, according the OECD’s latest Interim Economic Assessment.

Governments will need to continue to stimulate their economies as rising unemployment and weak housing markets continue to dampen private demand. The current exceptionally low interest rates should  remain in force for the time being, the assessment adds.

    

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The OECD forecasts economic growth across the Group of Seven countries to fall by 3.7% this year, a less brutal contraction than the 4.1% drop projected in June 2009. The latest GDP forecasts for this year provide slightly improved outlooks for Japan and the Euro area and an unchanged overall projection for the US. The lower annual growth projection for the UK this year is due to downward revisions to GDP in the final quarter of last year and first quarter of 2009.

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