U.S. Business Cycles. The U.S. economy fell into a recession in December 2007, and pursued its shrinking course through June 2009, at which point it reversed the trend, and started an expansion cycle that is still on.

 

The U.S. economy fell into a recession in December 2007, and pursued its shrinking course through June 2009, at which point it reversed the trend, and started an expansion cycle that is still on. According to the NBER's (National Bureau of Economic Research) analysis of the U.S. business cycles, the data source for this post, the recovery started in the second quarter of 2009, is keeping its course, and did not reach its peak at this date of mid 2016.

By the end of the second quarter of 2010, the economy's health was still in its convalescent stage: the index of the average of GDP and GDI was a modest 98.7, compared with fourth quarter 2007 = 100. Since then the trend (chart below), as estimated from other sources also used by NBER for their estimates (the corresponding values are given in red in the table), has been upwards for already 28 quarters uninterruptedly. The falling industrial production index suggests however that the U.S. economic performance may get weaker and fail to meet most people's expectations, a prognosis corroborated by the falling annualized quarterly growth rate of the average GDP and GDI during the last four quarters.

 

US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions

Quarter ¹

GDP

Annualized Quarterly Growth Rate

GDI

Annualized Quarterly Growth Rate

Average of GDP&GDI

Annualized Quarterly Growth Rate

Indexed, 2007.Q4 = 100

GDP

GDI

Average of GDP&GDI

1947.001,772 1,766 1,769 13.2613.3413.30
1947.251,770-0.611,751-3.551,760-2.0813.2413.2213.23
1947.501,768-0.341,751-0.021,759-0.1813.2313.2213.23
1947.751,7956.021,7724.751,7835.3813.4313.3813.41
1948.001,8236.321,81810.431,8218.3813.6413.7313.69
1948.251,8577.281,86610.361,8618.8213.9014.0913.99
1948.501,8672.151,8690.711,8681.4313.9714.1214.04
1948.751,8700.621,8771.621,8731.1213.9914.1814.08
1949.001,844-5.601,840-7.991,842-6.7913.8013.9013.85
1949.251,837-1.461,829-2.401,833-1.9313.7513.8113.78
1949.501,8584.461,8422.831,8503.6513.9013.9113.91
1949.751,840-3.761,818-5.201,829-4.4813.7713.7313.75
1950.001,91515.831,88915.321,90215.5814.3314.2714.30
1950.251,97312.001,96415.571,96813.7914.7614.8414.80
1950.502,05015.352,04616.362,04815.8615.3415.4515.40
1950.752,0866.982,0877.962,0877.4715.6115.7715.69
1951.002,1135.012,0971.802,1043.4015.8115.8415.82
1951.252,1486.592,1234.932,1355.7616.0716.0316.05
1951.502,1907.892,1596.732,1747.3116.3916.3016.35
1951.752,1940.682,1763.212,1851.9416.4216.4416.43
1952.002,2164.012,1943.312,2053.6616.5816.5716.58
1952.252,2190.432,2051.982,2121.2116.6016.6516.63
1952.502,2342.682,2202.752,2272.7116.7116.7716.74
1952.752,30712.992,28811.982,29712.4817.2617.2817.27
1953.002,3507.422,3297.192,3407.3117.5917.5917.59
1953.252,3683.022,3462.962,3572.9917.7217.7217.72
1953.502,354-2.442,334-2.212,344-2.3217.6117.6317.62
1953.752,317-6.392,282-8.962,299-7.6817.3317.2417.29
1954.002,306-1.902,2881.002,296-0.4517.2517.2817.27
1954.252,3080.502,2920.702,3000.6017.2717.3117.29
1954.502,3344.482,3123.532,3234.0017.4717.4617.47
1954.752,3817.942,3628.642,3728.2917.8217.8417.83
1955.002,45011.342,42510.542,43810.9418.3318.3218.33
1955.252,4906.582,4808.902,4857.7418.6418.7318.68
1955.502,5245.302,5094.672,5164.9818.8818.9518.92
1955.752,5382.232,5293.192,5332.7118.9919.1019.05
1956.002,526-1.822,5320.432,529-0.7018.9019.1219.01
1956.252,5463.122,5563.842,5513.4819.0519.3119.18
1956.502,543-0.502,554-0.422,548-0.4619.0319.2919.16
1956.752,5846.492,5996.972,5916.7319.3419.6319.48
1957.002,6002.452,6030.692,6021.5719.4619.6619.56
1957.252,594-0.972,602-0.232,598-0.6019.4119.6519.53
1957.502,6193.842,6141.872,6162.8519.6019.7419.67
1957.752,591-4.242,588-4.002,589-4.1219.3919.5519.47
1958.002,521-10.972,531-8.892,526-9.9318.8719.1218.99
1958.252,5372.442,5350.582,5361.5118.9819.1419.06
1958.502,5969.272,5817.212,5888.2419.4319.4919.46
1958.752,6579.212,6449.662,6509.4419.8819.9719.92
1959.002,7108.002,7079.492,7098.7520.2820.4520.37
1959.252,7799.982,78711.622,78310.8020.7921.0520.92
1959.502,776-0.482,763-3.452,769-1.9620.7720.8720.82
1959.752,7851.402,7822.762,7842.0820.8421.0220.93
1960.002,8488.882,8469.102,8478.9921.3121.5021.40
1960.252,834-1.872,840-0.862,837-1.3721.2121.4521.33
1960.502,8390.652,837-0.442,8380.1121.2421.4321.34
1960.752,803-5.162,821-2.292,812-3.7320.9721.3121.14
1961.002,8192.382,8260.692,8221.5421.1021.3421.22
1961.252,8727.412,8746.812,8737.1121.4921.7121.60
1961.502,9186.412,9175.932,9186.1721.8422.0321.94
1961.752,9788.062,9838.942,9808.5022.2822.5322.41
1962.003,0317.113,0265.693,0286.4022.6822.8522.77
1962.253,0654.403,0574.133,0614.2622.9323.0923.01
1962.503,0933.683,0853.653,0893.6623.1523.3023.22
1962.753,1010.983,1153.863,1082.4223.2023.5323.37
1963.003,1415.193,1474.083,1444.6323.5123.7723.64
1963.253,1804.973,1956.033,1885.5023.8024.1323.96
1963.503,2407.463,2365.103,2386.2824.2524.4424.34
1963.753,2653.043,2673.803,2663.4224.4324.6724.55
1964.003,3388.873,3226.763,3307.8224.9825.1025.04
1964.253,3774.583,3685.483,3725.0325.2725.4425.35
1964.503,4235.403,4165.683,4195.5425.6125.8125.71
1964.753,4321.113,4473.533,4392.3225.6826.0325.86
1965.003,5169.713,5248.853,5209.2826.3126.6226.46
1965.253,5645.393,5695.123,5675.2626.6726.9626.81
1965.503,6368.033,6205.623,6286.8327.2127.3427.28
1965.753,7249.533,6988.593,7119.0627.8727.9327.90
1966.003,8159.703,7788.553,7979.1228.5528.5428.54
1966.253,8281.333,8012.443,8151.8828.6528.7128.68
1966.503,8532.623,8252.503,8392.5628.8328.8928.86
1966.753,8853.233,8563.263,8703.2429.0729.1329.10
1967.003,9193.513,8761.993,8972.7529.3229.2729.30
1967.253,9200.093,8962.113,9081.1029.3329.4329.38
1967.503,9513.173,9374.173,9443.6729.5629.7429.65
1967.753,9813.053,9763.963,9783.5029.7930.0329.91
1968.004,0638.164,0366.014,0507.0830.4030.4930.45
1968.254,1326.744,0975.964,1146.3530.9230.9530.93
1968.504,1602.734,1485.004,1543.8631.1331.3331.23
1968.754,1781.734,1742.424,1762.0731.2731.5231.40
1969.004,2446.254,2153.944,2295.0931.7631.8431.80
1969.254,2571.174,2422.594,2491.8831.8532.0431.95
1969.504,2832.524,2732.914,2782.7232.0532.2832.17
1969.754,263-1.884,267-0.624,265-1.2531.9032.2332.06
1970.004,257-0.634,235-2.954,246-1.7931.8531.9931.92
1970.254,2640.724,234-0.174,2490.2831.9131.9831.94
1970.504,3023.554,2703.444,2863.5032.1932.2532.22
1970.754,257-4.274,228-3.984,242-4.1331.8531.9331.89
1971.004,37410.884,3148.084,3449.4832.7332.5932.66
1971.254,3992.264,3452.894,3722.5832.9232.8232.87
1971.504,4343.184,3833.414,4083.2933.1833.1033.14
1971.754,4461.124,4384.994,4423.0533.2733.5233.40
1972.004,5267.094,4995.514,5126.3033.8733.9833.93
1972.254,6339.374,5595.324,5967.3434.6734.4434.55
1972.504,6783.824,6366.664,6575.2435.0035.0235.01
1972.754,7556.534,76110.684,7588.6035.5835.9635.77
1973.004,87610.114,8497.274,8628.6936.4936.6236.56
1973.254,9334.604,8752.164,9043.3836.9136.8236.87
1973.504,906-2.144,8871.024,897-0.5636.7136.9236.81
1973.754,9533.804,9434.504,9484.1537.0637.3337.20
1974.004,910-3.534,900-3.474,905-3.5036.7437.0136.87
1974.254,9221.034,880-1.644,901-0.3136.8336.8636.85
1974.504,874-3.984,859-1.714,866-2.8436.4736.7036.59
1974.754,854-1.584,795-5.324,824-3.4536.3336.2236.27
1975.004,795-4.894,737-4.854,766-4.8735.8835.7835.83
1975.254,8323.044,7803.604,8063.3236.1636.1036.13
1975.504,9136.684,8798.204,8967.4436.7736.8536.81
1975.754,9785.194,9284.004,9534.6037.2537.2237.23
1976.005,0919.005,0298.145,0608.5738.0937.9938.04
1976.255,1292.995,0612.515,0952.7538.3838.2338.30
1976.505,1541.965,0972.855,1252.4138.5738.5038.53
1976.755,1922.895,1141.355,1532.1238.8538.6338.74
1977.005,2524.625,1633.815,2074.2139.3039.0039.15
1977.255,3567.875,29410.005,3258.9340.0839.9940.03
1977.505,4527.095,3977.765,4257.4340.8040.7740.78
1977.755,451-0.085,4302.425,4401.1740.7941.0240.90
1978.005,4691.365,4582.045,4641.7040.9341.2341.08
1978.255,68515.445,62512.075,65513.7542.5442.4942.51
1978.505,7403.905,6622.645,7013.2742.9642.7742.86
1978.755,8165.255,7103.365,7634.3143.5243.1343.33
1979.005,8260.675,7593.425,7922.0443.6043.5043.55
1979.255,8310.385,726-2.315,778-0.9743.6443.2543.44
1979.505,8732.865,7340.575,8031.7143.9543.3143.63
1979.755,8901.105,7742.775,8311.9344.0743.6143.84
1980.005,9091.295,7740.015,8410.6544.2143.6143.91
1980.255,787-8.285,664-7.695,725-7.9943.3142.7843.04
1980.505,777-0.755,6952.175,7360.7143.2343.0243.12
1980.755,8847.335,84010.095,8628.7144.0344.1144.07
1981.006,0068.225,8913.445,9485.8344.9444.5044.72
1981.255,958-3.205,889-0.155,923-1.6844.5844.4844.53
1981.506,0304.835,9816.226,0055.5345.1245.1845.15
1981.755,955-5.015,907-4.995,931-5.0044.5644.6244.59
1982.005,857-6.625,863-2.985,860-4.8043.8344.2944.06
1982.255,8892.175,8901.865,8902.0144.0744.4944.28
1982.505,866-1.545,863-1.885,864-1.7143.9044.2844.09
1982.755,8710.315,835-1.915,853-0.8043.9344.0744.00
1983.005,9444.945,9034.685,9244.8144.4844.5944.53
1983.256,0788.896,0016.556,0397.7245.4845.3345.40
1983.506,1987.816,0855.586,1416.7046.3845.9646.17
1983.756,3268.186,2128.256,2688.2247.3346.9247.13
1984.006,4487.686,37810.596,4139.1448.2548.1848.22
1984.256,5606.856,4997.466,5297.1549.0949.0949.09
1984.506,6233.876,5734.566,5984.2149.5649.6549.61
1984.756,6773.256,6474.486,6623.8649.9750.2150.09
1985.006,7403.766,7013.246,7213.5050.4450.6250.53
1985.256,7973.376,7422.436,7702.9050.8650.9350.89
1985.506,9046.206,8194.576,8615.3851.6651.5151.58
1985.756,9563.026,8602.406,9082.7152.0551.8251.94
1986.007,0233.836,9334.206,9784.0252.5552.3752.46
1986.257,0511.606,9500.997,0001.3052.7652.5052.63
1986.507,1193.846,9922.397,0553.1153.2752.8153.04
1986.757,1531.937,0412.827,0972.3753.5353.1953.36
1987.007,1932.217,1003.337,1462.7753.8353.6353.73
1987.257,2704.237,2106.167,2405.1954.4054.4654.43
1987.507,3333.467,3185.947,3254.7054.8755.2855.07
1987.757,4586.787,4225.637,4406.2155.8156.0655.93
1988.007,4972.067,5074.587,5023.3256.1056.7156.40
1988.257,5935.117,5934.537,5934.8256.8257.3557.08
1988.507,6322.067,6543.247,6432.6557.1157.8257.46
1988.757,7345.317,7585.397,7465.3557.8758.6058.24
1989.007,8073.747,8012.197,8042.9658.4258.9258.67
1989.257,8652.987,781-1.027,8230.9858.8558.7758.81
1989.507,9273.167,8151.767,8712.4659.3259.0359.18
1989.757,9450.877,8260.557,8850.7159.4559.1159.28
1990.008,0284.167,8913.327,9593.7460.0759.6159.84
1990.258,0601.597,9452.738,0022.1660.3160.0160.16
1990.508,0600.007,936-0.447,998-0.2260.3159.9560.13
1990.757,989-3.527,896-2.057,942-2.7859.7859.6459.71
1991.007,950-1.947,879-0.867,915-1.4059.4959.5159.50
1991.258,0042.697,9001.047,9521.8759.8959.6759.78
1991.508,0381.687,9150.777,9761.2360.1559.7959.97
1991.758,0691.567,9411.328,0051.4460.3859.9860.18
1992.008,1584.378,0646.128,1105.2561.0460.9160.98
1992.258,2444.238,1263.098,1853.6661.6961.3861.54
1992.508,3294.118,1511.228,2402.6762.3361.5761.95
1992.758,4174.188,2344.038,3254.1162.9862.1962.59
1993.008,4330.748,2350.098,3330.4163.1062.2162.65
1993.258,4862.558,3274.418,4063.4863.5062.9063.20
1993.508,5312.108,3501.128,4401.6163.8463.0763.46
1993.758,6445.258,4876.498,5655.8764.6864.1164.39
1994.008,7283.878,5844.548,6554.2165.3164.8465.07
1994.258,8475.448,6884.848,7675.1466.2065.6365.92
1994.508,9042.578,7804.228,8423.3966.6366.3266.48
1994.759,0034.428,8854.758,9444.5867.3767.1167.24
1995.009,0250.988,9312.068,9781.5267.5467.4667.50
1995.259,0450.868,9741.919,0091.3967.6867.7867.73
1995.509,1213.359,0784.629,0993.9868.2568.5768.41
1995.759,1842.789,1342.449,1592.6168.7368.9968.86
1996.009,2472.739,2193.729,2333.2269.2069.6469.42
1996.259,4076.869,3636.199,3856.5270.3970.7270.56
1996.509,4893.469,4543.879,4713.6771.0171.4171.21
1996.759,5934.349,5755.109,5844.7271.7872.3372.05
1997.009,6663.069,6774.249,6723.6572.3373.1072.71
1997.259,8105.899,7894.609,7995.2573.4173.9473.67
1997.509,9334.999,9496.479,9415.7374.3375.1574.74
1997.7510,0093.0610,0684.7510,0383.9074.9076.0575.47
1998.0010,1033.7610,1754.2310,1394.0075.6076.8676.23
1998.2510,1943.5810,3185.6010,2564.5976.2877.9477.11
1998.5010,3295.2410,4695.8010,3995.5277.2979.0878.18
1998.7510,5086.8710,5713.8710,5395.3778.6379.8579.24
1999.0010,6013.5510,7125.3210,6574.4379.3380.9280.12
1999.2510,6843.1110,7842.6710,7342.8979.9581.4680.70
1999.5010,8205.0610,8823.6110,8514.3380.9782.2081.58
1999.7511,0147.1211,0696.8311,0426.9782.4283.6183.01
2000.0011,0431.0411,2948.0611,1684.5582.6485.3183.96
2000.2511,2597.7311,3572.2111,3084.9784.2585.7885.01
2000.5011,2680.3311,4412.9411,3541.6484.3286.4285.36
2000.7511,3352.3611,418-0.7911,3760.7884.8286.2585.53
2001.0011,297-1.3211,5323.9911,4141.3384.5487.1185.81
2001.2511,3712.6211,492-1.4211,4310.6085.0986.8085.94
2001.5011,340-1.1011,439-1.8511,389-1.4784.8686.4085.63
2001.7511,3801.4111,384-1.9311,382-0.2685.1685.9985.57
2002.0011,4783.4211,5254.9411,5024.1885.8987.0686.47
2002.2511,5392.1211,5882.1711,5632.1586.3587.5386.94
2002.5011,5961.9911,574-0.4811,5850.7686.7887.4387.10
2002.7511,5990.0811,6211.6111,6100.8586.7987.7887.29
2003.0011,6461.6211,6541.1211,6501.3787.1588.0387.58
2003.2511,7393.1811,7703.9911,7543.5887.8488.9188.37
2003.5011,9366.6511,8703.3911,9035.0289.3189.6689.49
2003.7512,0433.5811,9994.3012,0213.9490.1290.6390.37
2004.0012,1282.8112,0963.2412,1123.0290.7591.3791.06
2004.2512,2142.8312,2143.8612,2143.3591.4092.2691.83
2004.5012,3042.9312,3434.2212,3233.5792.0793.2492.65
2004.7512,4103.4612,4332.9012,4223.1892.8793.9293.39
2005.0012,5343.9712,5644.1712,5494.0793.7994.9094.34
2005.2512,5881.7012,6562.9212,6222.3194.1995.5994.89
2005.5012,6833.0312,7502.9912,7173.0194.9196.3195.61
2005.7512,7492.0612,9014.7112,8253.3895.4097.4596.42
2006.0012,9165.2113,1046.2413,0105.7396.6598.9897.81
2006.2512,9631.4413,1481.3213,0551.3897.0099.3198.15
2006.5012,9660.1013,2101.9013,0871.0097.0299.7898.39
2006.7513,0612.9113,2972.6113,1782.7697.73100.4499.08
2007.0013,0890.8713,218-2.3713,154-0.7597.9599.8498.89
2007.2513,1943.1913,2230.1613,2091.6798.7399.8899.31
2007.5013,2692.2513,158-1.9713,2130.1499.2999.3999.34
2007.7513,3642.8513,2392.4413,3012.65100.00100.00100.00
2008.0013,339-0.7313,2670.8413,3030.0699.82100.21100.01
2008.2513,3590.5913,185-2.4913,271-0.9599.9799.5999.78
2008.5013,224-4.0813,097-2.6713,160-3.3798.9598.9398.94
2008.7512,994-7.0112,865-7.1512,929-7.0897.2397.1797.20
2009.0012,833-4.9912,705-5.0212,768-5.0096.0395.9696.00
2009.2512,810-0.7112,653-1.6312,731-1.1795.8695.5795.72
2009.5012,8611.5812,652-0.0212,7560.7896.2495.5795.90
2009.7513,0194.8912,8596.4912,9395.6997.4297.1397.28
2010.0013,1393.6612,9904.0313,0643.8598.3298.1298.22
2010.2513,1921.6013,0642.2813,1271.9498.7198.6898.70
2010.2514,7463.8514,6492.7814,6973.3198.3698.8798.61
2010.5014,8462.6914,8405.1814,8423.9399.02100.1599.59
2010.7514,9392.5114,9051.7614,9222.1499.65100.60100.12
2011.0014,881-1.5514,9240.5214,903-0.5299.26100.7399.99
2011.2514,9902.9014,9961.9214,9932.4199.99101.21100.59
2011.5015,0210.8415,0932.5815,0571.71100.20101.87101.03
2011.7515,1904.4815,2173.2715,2043.87101.32102.70102.01
2012.0015,2912.6415,5007.3815,3965.02102.00104.62103.30
2012.2515,3621.8615,5230.5815,4431.22102.47104.77103.61
2012.5015,3810.4815,517-0.1515,4490.17102.59104.73103.66
2012.7515,3840.0915,6513.4315,5171.77102.62105.63104.11
2013.0015,4571.8915,632-0.4915,5440.70103.10105.50104.30
2013.2515,5001.1115,7442.8815,6222.00103.39106.26104.82
2013.5015,6142.9415,7590.3815,6871.65104.15106.36105.25
2013.7515,7623.7515,8632.6415,8133.19105.13107.07106.09
2014.0015,725-0.9315,8870.6015,806-0.16104.89107.23106.05
2014.2515,9024.4716,0744.6615,9884.56106.07108.48107.27
2014.5016,0694.1916,2744.9616,1724.58107.18109.84108.50
2014.7516,1512.0516,3922.8716,2722.46107.73110.63109.17
2015.0016,1770.6416,4090.4216,2930.53107.91110.74109.32
2015.2516,3343.8516,4982.1716,4163.00108.95111.35110.14
2015.5016,4141.9616,5822.0216,4981.99109.49111.91110.69
2015.7516,4711.3816,6621.9316,5661.65109.86112.45111.15
2016.0016,5050.8416,7542.2016,6291.53110.09113.07111.58
 Source (except for data in red): NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc., USA, https://nber.org/cycles/cyclesmain.html
 ¹ data in red taken from Table 1.7.6, Bureau of Economic Analysys, National Income and Product Accounts Tables: http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/SelectTable.asp?Selected=N
Although NBER uses BEA as one of its original data sources, the chained-dollar series of both cannot be strictly compared. The values in red shown here should most likely be somewhat different of NBER's, and are presented only for the purpose of giving an idea of the speed of the recovery since Q2 2010, when the NBER series ends.

 

U.S. Business Cycles. Chart of the average of GDP and GDI, indexed for Dec 2007=100, covering the period 2010 through Quarter 1, 2016 and showing an expansion cycle that is still on.

 

 Chart of the average of GDP and GDI, indexed for Dec 2007=100, covering the period 2010 through Quarter 1, 2016. The corresponding data appears in red in the table "US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions" above.

 

 

 

Sources: NBER, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. US Business Cycle Expansions and Contractions, BEA - US Bureau of Economic Analysis.

 

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