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Healthy – but how long?

The world economy has taken a beating A global pandemic. War in Ukraine. Surging prices – and aggressive interest rate hikes to tame them. Somehow, though, economic activity keeps chugging along The International Monetary Fund has raised its forecast for global growth this year to 3% from the 2 8% it predicted back in April. While slower than last year’s 3.5% it nonetheless suggests remarkable resilience in the face of higher global interest rates In America, the Federal Reserve has raised rates 11 times since March 2022 But the IMF upgraded its

Soft landing? The world economy seems to be doing fine despite significant challenges. High interest rates have now slowed growth as much as expecte

1.8% from the expectation for U.S. growth to

1.6% it expected in April. The U.S. labor market has remained strong despite higher rates, raising hopes the Fed can guide the world’s largest economy to a “soft landing’’ – slowing growth enough to corral inflation without triggering a recession Still the IMF warns that risks are stacked to the downside: Inflation could prove intractable, forcing rates to stay higher longer. And the world’s No 2 economy China, is struggling even after Beijing lifted the draconian COVID-19 lockdowns that crippled growth in 2022

For Better or For Worse® by Lynn Johnson