The U.S. is still slowly recovering from the worst recession since the 1930s.

• The economy has now grown (slowly) for four straight quarters.
• The slow economy growth has made little impact on the unemployment rate.
• New home construction, imports, and business investments all increased in the second quarter.
• Consumer spending, which normally accounts for 70% of U.S. economic activity, didn’t rise as much as expected.

Facts and Figures

• The current unemployment rate is 9.5%.
• While imports increased by 28.8%, exports increased by 10.3%, creating a trade deficit.
• Business investment increased by 17%, which was the largest increase since the beginning of 2006.
• New home construction increased 27.9%.

Tags: business investment, consumer spending, economy, first quarter, GDP, growth, new home construction, second quarter