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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Business
Gaya Gupta and agencies

US economy grows sluggish 1.5% in second quarter as inflation tops Fed target

Man in suit at podium speaks at lectern with hands gestured
The US Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, speaks during a press conference at the Federal Reserve building in Washington DC on Wednesday. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPA

The US economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month despite remaining above the central bank’s 2% target.

The commerce department reported on Thursday that growth in US gross domestic product (GDP) – the nation’s output of goods and services – decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists’ expectations.

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