On Thursday, the Bureau of Economic Analysis released its second estimate of real gross domestic product for the second quarter of 2014 — covering April, May and June of this year. The release showed output in the U.S. increasing at an annual rate of 4.2%. This is relative to the first quarter when real GDP declined 2.1%.
The revision is up marginally from BEA’s 4% advance estimate released last month. The revision, BEA said in a release, was largely due to a larger than previously estimated increase in nonresidential fixed investment. However, the increase in private inventory investment was smaller than previously estimated. Of the revision the BEA wrote, “The general picture of economic growth remains the same” as when it released the advance estimate.
The 4.2% growth in real GDP reflected growing personal consumption, private inventory investment, exports, both residential and nonresidential fixed investment, as well as local government spending. The gains were partially offset by an increase in imports, which negatively impact GDP, and a 0.9% decline in federal government expenditures.
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