Several indicators indicate that the US economy is on the mend and is gradually recovering from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting crisis, writes Reuters.
Among the indicators analyzed by the Agency are data on the state of retail and unemployment, the Oxford index of economic recovery, as well as statistics on the opening of new jobs. All of them show positive dynamics. Some statistics seem illogical at first glance. Thus, the expiration of the period during which unemployed Americans could count on additional benefits did not lead to a decrease in aggregate demand from the population.
The volatility index, calculated by the Chicago Board of options (CBOE) and also known as the “fear index”, is close to the February values. This indicates a positive mood of investors, who do not expect strong market shocks in the near future.
However, some indicators continue to indicate continuing problems. The main one is unemployment data. In the week from August 8 to 15, the number of new applications for benefits again exceeded one million after a decline recorded a week earlier. the total number of recipients of benefits is 14.8 million.
Another potential risk factor is the opening of schools and universities in September, which may lead to a new outbreak of the spread of the coronavirus. However, in General, the available data is assessed by economists as positive.
