IMF hopes slow, weak recovery from recession

October 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - More than 80 percent of top US economists believe that America has started pulling out of its worst downturn since World War II, but they expect a slow and painful recovery, according to a new survey. Most economists agree the US recession that started almost two years ago is finally over, but they don't expect meaningful improvement in jobs, credit or housing for months to come, according to the survey by the National Association for Business Economics (NABE).

September 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday that the worst US recession in seven decades has "very likely" come to an end, but warned the country's economy will remain weak for some time. The US central bank head said there was general agreement among economists that the United States would return to growth in the third quarter of this year and continue to pick up in 2010.

September 9th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US economy has stepped back from its worst recession in seven decades and is on the road to recovery, President Barack Obama said in a rare address to Congress Wednesday night. In a speech before both houses of Congress that was largely devoted to health care, Obama took credit for pulling the world's largest economy out of a deep crisis but warned there was more pain to come.

September 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US Federal Reserve sees an end to the economic crisis in the second half of the year even as problems are expected to remain on the job market, according to minutes of the central bank's last meeting released Wednesday. Still the majority of the central bankers said at the Aug 11-12 meeting that they expected recovery to be slow and stressed that the economy was "still vulnerable to adverse shocks".

August 13th, 2009 Retail sales unexpectedly dip 0.1 percent in JulyWASHINGTON — Retail sales outside of autos turned in a disappointing performance in July, underscoring concerns about the timing and durability of a recovery from the worst recession since World War II. The Commerce Department said Thursday that retail sales fell 0.1 percent last month.

August 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US economists are generally agreed that America's worst economic downturn since the Great Depression is over, but an average American is unlikely to feel things are significantly better anytime soon. The Wall Street Journal's survey of top economists, published Wednesday, found that 57 percent believe the recession is already over, while another 23 percent believe that the economy will turn in the next month or two.

August 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - The American economy may be heading out of the woods with new government numbers showing signs of easing recession laying the groundwork for growth in the months ahead. But the job market still remains weak with working people haunted by fear of layoffs.

July 14th, 2009 Wholesale prices, retail sales rise in JuneWASHINGTON — Higher energy prices rippled through the economy in June, helping to drive a bigger-than-expected gain in retail sales. The sharp rise in wholesale prices — as well as "core" prices that exclude food and energy — could fan investors' fears about inflation.

July 8th, 2009 IMF expects slow recovery from global recessionWASHINGTON — The global economy is beginning a sluggish recovery from its worst recession since World War II, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday. The IMF increased its estimate for global economic growth in 2010 to 2.5 percent, from an April projection of 1.9 percent.

July 1st, 2009 Manufacturing data boosts hopes of recession endWASHINGTON — Brighter news on manufacturing is offering more hope that the longest recession since World War II is near an end. But with construction and many other segments of the economy still weak and unemployment rising, any rebound likely will be slow.

April 29th, 2009 Fed sees signs recession may easingWASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve says it sees signs the recession may be easing but warns the economy is likely to remain weak. Against that backdrop the Fed held its key lending rate at a record low of between zero and 0.25 percent.

April 29th, 2009 Fed says it sees signs recession may be easingWASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve says it sees signs the recession may be easing but warns the economy is likely to remain weak. Against that backdrop the Fed held its key lending rate at a record low of between zero and 0.25 percent.

April 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Warning that the current global recession is likely to be 'unusually long and severe' and the recovery sluggish, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Thursday said restoring confidence in the financial sector is 'critically important'. 'Aggressive monetary and fiscal policy measures are needed to support aggregate demand in the short term,' said IMF's latest World Economic Outlook (WEO), calling for 'coordinated monetary, fiscal, and financial policies' to deal with the crisis.

March 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said in a television interview aired Sunday that the recession could end this year if the banking and financial systems can be stabilized. 'I do think that we will get it stabilized, and we'll see the recession coming to an end probably this year,' he told news programme 60 Minutes.

January 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The world economy will grow by only 0.5 percent in 2009, the worst rate since end of World War II, as industrial nations battle a severe recession that is dragging developing countries down with them, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday as it slashed its global economic forecasts. Wealthy nations will experience their worst recession in the post-war period, contracting 2 percent in 2009 despite massive fiscal stimulus packages planned by most of the world's richest countries.