The U.S. economy closed the second quarter with a final GDP growth rate of 3.8% — its strongest performance since the third quarter of 2023 and above the long-term average pace.
That's a sharp rebound from the 0.5% contraction in the first quarter, when fears over looming tariffs rattled businesses. Still, the acceleration in growth stands somewhat at odds with the softer labor market data seen over the summer.
