GDP increased 3 percent in last quarter of 2010

The latest estimate from Bureau of Economic Analysis shows that exports increased at a rate of 8.6 percent, and imports declined at a rate of 12.6 percent from the third quarter

This chart shows real gross domestic product (GDP) in the US from 2001 to 2010. The latest estimate of the fourth quarter of 2010 shows an increase of 3 percent on a year-over-year basis.

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March 25, 2011

Today, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released their third "estimate" of the Q4 2010 GDP report showing that the economy continued to expand with real GDP increasing at an annualized rate of 3.1% from Q3 2010.

On a year-over-year basis real GDP increased 2.78% while the quarter-to-quarter non-annualized percent change was 0.77%.

The latest report reveals an unexpected increase for housing with residential fixed investment increasing at a rate of 3.3% from the third quarter though additional revisions are needed to get something that resembles accuracy from this figure.

Note that the administration (and the BEA) have yet to take down their estimates for Q2 residential fixed investment which still sits at the lofty level of a supposed 25.7% quarter-to-quarter change... not likely.... look for that figure to be revised down in coming releases impacting the anemic "final" Q2 results.

Non-residential fixed investment in structures supposedly increased at 7.6% from the third quarter while the "change in real private inventories" began to bear down subtracting some 3.42% from real GDP after having worked to prop the value for five consecutive quarters.

Both imports and exports of goods and services worked to contribute positively to GDP with exports increasing at a rate of 8.6% while imports declined at a rate of 12.6% (counted as a contribution to GDP) from the third quarter.

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