Some forecasters expected that the October 1987 stock market collapse would seriously lower GNP growth by curtailing consumer spending. After declining in October, however, consumer spending has grown moderately. This relatively small effect is consistent with empirical studies showing that the...

The U.S. economy turned in an exceptional performance in 1999, combining strong real output growth with moderate inflation. Real GDP, a broad measure of the nation's output of goods and services, grew 4.6 percent from the fourth quarter of 1998 to the fourth quarter of 1999. Employment also rose...