国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. Fed keeps rates near zero, warns of COVID-19 resurgence_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: U.S. Fed keeps rates near zero, warns of COVID-19 resurgence

"Indeed we have seen some signs in recent weeks in the renewed measures to control it are starting to weigh on economic activity," Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday afternoon at a virtual press conference, adding some measures of consumer spending based on debit and credit card use have dropped since late June

"The path forward for the economy is extraordinarily uncertain and will depend on our success in keeping the virus in check," Powell said, noting a full U.S. economic recovery is unlikely until people are confident that it's safe to reengage in a broad range of activities.

"Even with the improved economic news in May and June, overall activity remains well below its level before the pandemic and the contraction in real GDP (gross domestic product) in the second quarter will likely be the largest on record," said the Fed chief.

Official statistics showed that the U.S. real GDP contracted at an annual rate of 5 percent in the first quarter this year, and the Commerce Department is scheduled to report its first estimate of the second quarter GDP on Thursday

"Absent an easing of the pandemic, or the development of a vaccine in the near term, there is a real risk that the domestic economic rebound will continue to stall, creating the conditions for another downturn," Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at accounting and consulting firm RSM US LLP, wrote Wednesday in an analysis.

"Yet the Federal Reserve chose to hold its fire and provided no further accommodation at its July meeting even though companies have not been recalling as many workers and household consumption has slowed as the pandemic intensified in June and July," he argued.