Trump Agenda Is Testing Economy’s Resilience

Wall Street Journal: “It’s far too early to say if cracks are forming in the overall economy, which grew at a healthy 2.3% annual clip in the fourth quarter. The unemployment rate dipped to 4% in January, low by historical standards.”

But consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of demand, declined 0.2% in January, the Commerce Department reported Friday, instead of rising as economists expected. It was the largest monthly drop in four years.”

“Meanwhile, the Conference Board’s consumer confidence index posted its largest monthly decline in February since 2021, and consumer expectations of inflation have risen. An index of global economic policy uncertainty based partly on news articles and economic forecasts has topped its pandemic-era record.”